Ecotec

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which projects run by the consultancy Ecotec his Department has funded since 1997; and what the  (a) cost and  (b) objective was of each project.

Barry Gardiner: The Department came into being in June 2001. From information held centrally the core-Department has spent the following sums with Ecotec:
	
		
			   £ 
			  Financial year  Expenditure 
			 2002-03 2,996.25 
			 2003-04 — 
			 2004-05 24,918.00 
			 2005-06 8,234.73 
			 2006-07(1) 751.37 
			 (1) First six months 
		
	
	The money has been spent on a study concerned with price elasticity of demand for nutrients; an evaluation of objective 1; and environmental stewardship workshops and training.

Farmers: Stewardship Schemes

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers are in  (a) entry level stewardship schemes and  (b) higher level stewardship schemes; how many in each scheme (i) received payment on the due date and (ii) are awaiting payment; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for delays in payment for each scheme.

Barry Gardiner: The number of farmers with agreements under entry level stewardship and higher level stewardship is as follows:
	 (a) Entry level stewardship—26,482;
	 (b) Higher level stewardship—1,168.
	The number of payments made by the due date and the number awaiting payment are as follows:
	 ELS
	(i) Paid by the due date—30,427;
	(ii) Awaiting payment—683.
	 HLS
	(i) Paid by the due date—557;
	(ii) Awaiting payment—7.
	Where a payment is still outstanding, this will usually be because there is a flag on the IT system which is preventing it from being processed. There are a number of reasons why this might be the case. For example, there may be outstanding issues arising from a compliance monitoring inspection or from cross-checks against land parcel data held on the Rural land register, both of which we are required to carry out in order to demonstrate our ability to comply with EC Regulations. Delays may also be caused by one of a number of IT related problems such as the agreement being under amendment, data integrity issues or invalid agreement holder details. However, in all these circumstances, officials make every effort to resolve the issues delaying payments as quickly as possible.

Radioactive Waste Management

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) correspondence and  (b) other communications (i) he, (ii) other ministers and (iii) officials had with the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) on CoRWM recommendation 2 (1), on the security vulnerability of above ground nuclear waste stores against terrorist threats, before preparing the reply to this recommendation published in the Reponse to the Report and Recommendations from the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) by the UK Government and the devolved administrations on 25 October 2006.

Ian Pearson: The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) delivered its recommendations on 31 July 2006. The Government and devolved Administrations responded on 25 October.
	In formulating the response, DEFRA consulted other Government Departments, the devolved Administrations and the independent environment and nuclear safety regulators. There was no correspondence or other communications between the Government and CoRWM on recommendation 2 (1) during this time.
	As our response states, the security of all stores is of paramount importance. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's contractors are regulated and advised by the Office for Civil Nuclear Security and already take account of such matters. These include the design and engineering of new stores and the refurbishment of existing ones in light of the risks to the security of their contents, now and into the future. This includes, but is not limited to, the vulnerability of the waste form and the degree of protection provided against attack.

Seas and Oceans: Climate Change

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the marine climate change impacts partnership report; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: On 29 November, I launched the first annual report card (ARC) of the marine climate change impact partnership (MCCIP), the first ever holistic assessment of the impacts of climate change on UK seas. It shows us, at a glance, the latest knowledge of climate impacts on marine sectors. This is an important wake up call to us all on the dangers faced by our greatest natural resource.
	The ARC has been delivered to all Government Departments and agencies, and copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House. It is important that this work is considered in developing policy across Government.
	Though the ARC has only recently been released, over 10,000 copies have been downloaded from the website, 5,000 hard copies have been distributed, and more copies are being printed to meet demand. A report on the impact of the ARC on policy developments will be produced at the time of its annual review.

Electoral Malpractice

Oliver Heald: To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases of electoral malpractice were reported by the police to the Crown Prosecution Service in each year since the introduction of the Representation of the People Act 2000.

Mike O'Brien: Electoral malpractice is not a category for which data is available. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) records files received under the classification 'election offences'. The relevant figures are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2001 57 
			 2002 51 
			 2003 70 
			 2004 55 
			 2005 65 
			 2006 38 
			 Total 336 
		
	
	Other electoral malpractice allegations have been prosecuted as conspiracy to defraud, forgery and perjury and are not captured in this data. To identify all cases amounting to electoral malpractice could be obtained only at disproportionate cost (Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, part 2, clause 9).

Serious Fraud Office

Simon Hughes: To ask the Solicitor-General how many investigations were begun by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in each year since 1996; how many such investigations were completed by the SFO and followed by an  (a) successful and  (b) unsuccessful prosecution; and how many such investigations were discontinued before they were completed.

Mike O'Brien: The following number represent cases begun in the financial year indicated and they are split in four categories:
	A = Case prosecuted resulting in one or more convictions.
	B = Case prosecuted resulting in no convictions (including dismissed cases).
	C = Investigation initiated but case not prosecuted.
	D = Case still live (either being investigated or proceedings under way).
	
		
			  Financial year  A  B  C  D 
			 1996-97 16 3 14 0 
			 1997-98 9 3 7 0 
			 1998-99 11 1 4 1 
			 1999-2000 14 5 9 0 
			 2000-01 11 2 6 3 
			 2001-02 5 1 7 9 
			 2002-03 6 2 2 3 
			 2003-04 1 0 4 7 
			 2004-05 0 0 11 12 
			 2005-06 3 0 3 15

Iraq: Overseas Aid

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of children in Iraq who have received immunisations in each year since 2003 as a result of British aid money given to the United Nations Children's Fund.

Hilary Benn: In 2003-2004 we contributed £3.2 million to support UNICEF's emergency immunisation programmes in Iraq. By June 2003, immunisation services were available in all districts, and post war, more than 750,000 children under five years were vaccinated in catch-up campaigns. Funds enabled health teams to trace 34,000 immunisation drop-out children in Basra, Dhi Qar and Muthana governorates. This helped UNICEF to prevent an outbreak of measles across Southern Iraq towards the end of 2003.
	In addition, we have contributed £70 million to the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq, of which £30 million was used by the UN Trust Fund to provide funding to UN agencies, including UNICEF's core programmes. Since 2003, UNICEF programmes (undertaken by Iraq Ministry of Health with the assistance of US AID and WHO) have supported eight immunisation rounds, with each covering on average 4.7 million children under five years of age. Measles control activities have also been effectively implemented, with 91 per cent. reduction in reported cases in 2005 and the first seven months of 2006 compared with 2004. Iraq is polio free for the sixth consecutive year.
	Immunisation coverage in Iraq rose from 60 per cent. in 2003 to 83 per cent. in 2005, largely due to UNICEF (and World Health Organisation) programmes. Figures are not available for the numbers of children vaccinated on an annual basis.

Iraq: Overseas Aid

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has channelled through the  (a) Red Cross,  (b) World Food Programme,  (c) United Nations Children's Fund and  (d) World Health Organisation to be spent in Iraq in each year since 2003.

Hilary Benn: We have channelled the following contributions to the Red Cross, World Food Programme, United Nations Children's Fund and the World Health Organisation for Iraq:
	
		
			  £ 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 International Red Cross 500,000 17,500,000 10,000,000 4,000,000 4,000,000 
			 World Food Programme 2,000,000 31,000,000 — — — 
			 UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) 2,000,000 13,835,187 — — — 
			 World Health Organisation (WHO) 1,000,000 5,000,000 — — — 
		
	
	In 2004, we also contributed £30 million to the United Nations International Trust Fund for Iraq.

Iraq: Refugees

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many Iraqi refugees there are in  (a) Egypt,  (b) Lebanon and  (c) each state bordering Iraq; how much the Government has allocated for assisting these refugees in 2006-07; if the Government will increase the money allocated for this purpose; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: We are very concerned at the increasing numbers of people displaced due to sectarian violence in Iraq.
	UNHCR estimate the total number of Iraqi refugees living in neighbouring countries has risen to 1.8 million, including; 25,000 to 40,000 in Lebanon, 700,000 in Jordan, estimates of up to 1,000,000 in Syria, 100,000 in Egypt, 16,000 in Turkey and 54,000 in Iran. UNHCR reporting does not give estimates for Kuwait or Saudi Arabia.
	We have recently announced a £4 million contribution to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide emergency assistance, including water, medical supplies and rehabilitation of health infrastructure to vulnerable people, including internally displaced people (IDPs) inside Iraq. We are also considering UNHCR's appeal, which includes help to refugees in neighbouring countries. This brings our total humanitarian contribution for Iraq to over £120 million since 2003. Additionally, DFID provided £70 million to the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI), which provides support to internally displaced persons through UN agencies.
	Above all the first priority of the Iraqi Government must be to end the violence that is causing this situation, with the support of the international community and the region.

Future Business

Jo Swinson: To ask the Leader of the House if he will ask the Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House to consider the merits of publishing the provisional business of the House more than two weeks in advance.

Nigel Griffiths: My right hon. Friend, who chairs the Modernisation Committee, has no plans to ask the Committee to look at this matter. The period of notice for the announcement of future business was extended from one week to two weeks in 1995. It would be difficult to give longer notice than this.

Lords Reform

Bob Spink: To ask the Leader of the House what recent progress he has made towards a consensus on proposals for House of Lords reform.

Jack Straw: I have been working with colleagues on all sides of both Houses over recent months as part of an intensive effort to reach a consensus on how a future House of Lords may look. I intend to bring forward a White Paper very soon, setting out the Government's proposals on composition and transition, which will take account of the recent Joint Committee on Conventions report and Parliament's response, and the on-going cross-party discussions. A free vote in both Houses on the composition of the House will then follow.

Boundary Commission

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Leader of the House when he expects the orders to implement the Boundary Commission proposals to be laid before the House.

Jack Straw: I expect them to be laid on the 26 February 2007.

Bicycle Parking

Mary Creagh: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, what progress is being made in providing further bicycle parking for visitors and staff on the House of Commons part of the parliamentary estate.

Nick Harvey: Discussions have taken place during the last 12 months between the Metropolitan police representatives, outside security advisers and the Westminster city council regarding the possibility of providing bicycle parking on the House of Commons part of the estate for visitors. It has been decided that the provision of parking on the estate for non-passholders is not currently compatible with maintaining a secure perimeter. Further discussions have taken place regarding the provision of additional bicycle parking outside in the vicinity of the estate encouraged by the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group. It is hoped that additional bicycle racks will be provided during the current financial year.
	There are sufficient facilities to meet present demand from passholders to park their bicycles on the estate and the availability of bicycle parking spaces is kept under constant review. Last summer an exercise was undertaken to rid the cycle racks of abandoned and unused cycles.

Biometric Technologies

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he plans to published updated guidance to schools on the use of biometric technologies.

Jim Knight: holding answer 22 January 2007
	The Department is working with the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency which is revising its current guidance on data protection to include specific guidance on biometric technology. Becta aims to make the guidance available on its website by the end of March 2007 after consultation with the Office of the Information Commissioner.

Child Protection

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research he has commissioned on the use of child protection registers.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 30 January 2007
	No research has been commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills specifically on the use of child protection registers though some parts of the Safeguarding Children research initiative are likely to touch on the use of child protection registers and Child Protection Plans.

Education Funding: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much central Government allocated for education in Chorley's local authority area in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The Chorley constituency falls within the local authority area of Lancashire and the information supplied is the level of funding which applies to all of Lancashire. In 2006-07 Lancashire local authority received a Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) allocation of £606.9 million and revenue grants of £114.9 million—a total of £721.8 million to fund the education of nursery, primary and secondary school aged pupils.
	The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) took responsibility for funding of school sixth forms in April 2002. In 2006-07, the total funding allocation for schools sixth forms in Lancashire local authority was £25.2 million.
	The LSC is responsible for funding post-16 education and training more widely and so in addition to the funding for school sixth forms the LSC also funds colleges and other providers to deliver further education and training to young people and adults in the Lancashire local authority area. This can include funding the local authority itself where they are offering FE provision in line with Government priorities. My Department does not hold information on individual providers' funding allocations, however funding allocations for 2005/06 can be found at the following link:
	http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/2005/funding/streams/fe-2005-06-allocations-at-26-july.xls
	A copy of this document has been placed in the House Library.

Education Funding: Romford

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been made available from his Department to  (a) (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools and  (b) sixth forms and colleges within Romford constituency in 2006-07; and what central Government guidelines govern the distribution of these funds.

Jim Knight: The Romford constituency falls within the local authority of Havering and the information supplied is the level of funding which applies to all of Havering. In 2006-07 for Havering local authority, the Department allocated a Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) of £133.8 million and revenue grants of £22.8 million, totalling £156.6 million to fund education in the area. As the DSG is a mechanism for distributing funding, it is not possible to split the DSG allocation between primary and secondary schools.
	The 2006-07 DSG figure is not on the same basis as the £160.2 million that Havering received in 2005-06 under Education Formula Spending plus revenue grants.
	It is for Havering—in consultation with its school forum—to distribute its DSG and Standards Fund grants to the schools it maintains. However, it is expected that local authorities will take account of the priorities that Ministers identified within the DSG envelope (personalised learning at Key Stage 3, personalised learning in primary schools, more practical learning options for pupils aged 14 to 16, implementing PPA in primary schools and increased entitlement to free early years provision). The distribution of School Standards Grant and School Standards Grant (Personalisation) is determined centrally and set out in the conditions of grant.
	Guidelines for the distribution of the DSG is contained in the Department's Technical Note and the "Setting School Budgets 2006-07 and 2007-08: guidance note for Las and School Forums".
	The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) took responsibility for funding of school sixth forms in April 2002. In 2006/07, the total funding allocation for schools sixth forms in Havering local authority was £6.4 million.
	The LSC is responsible for funding post-16 education and training more widely and so in addition to the funding for school sixth forms the LSC also funds colleges and other providers to deliver further education and training to young people and adults in the Havering local authority area. The Department does not hold information on individual providers' funding allocations, however funding allocations for 2005/06 can be found at the following link:
	http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/2005/funding/streams/fe-2005-06-allocations-at-26-july.xls
	A copy of this document has been placed in the House Libraries.
	In October 2005 we set out our post-16 funding strategy for 2006-07 and 2007-08 in "Priorities for Success" which was published by the LSC. The strategy clearly set out our funding priorities which included supporting higher participation among young people and supporting disadvantaged adults gain basic and Level 2 employability skills. The strategy was updated in the LSC's Annual Statement of Priorities published in October 2006.

Educational Psychologist Referrals

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the Government's policy is on the maximum acceptable waiting time for pupils between being referred to, and seen by, an educational psychologist.

Jim Knight: The Department's Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (2001) provides practical guidance to local authorities, maintained schools, early education settings and others on carrying out their statutory duties to identify, assess and make provision for children with special educational needs (SEN).
	Regulations set out the time limits in which the various parts of the process of making statutory assessments and drawing up statements of SEN must be conducted. The Code of Practice makes clear that it is in the interests of all concerned that statutory assessments should be carried out in a timely manner. It is therefore important that each part of that process is conducted with all reasonable speed. This would include input from educational psychologists (EPs).
	We would expect this general principle to apply to other areas of EPs' work but the detailed management and deployment of EPs are matters for local authorities as employers.

Free School Meals

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of students on the Gifted and Talented programme in  (a) Leicester and  (b) Leicestershire receive free school meals.

Jim Knight: The available information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals who are on the gifted and talented programme( 1,2) , January 2006 
			  
			   All pupils  Pupils on the gifted and talented programme 
			  Local authority area  Total pupils( 2)  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 3)  Total pupils( 2)  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 4) 
			 Leicestershire 46,792 2,629 5.6 5,402 108 2.0 
			 Leicester 17,898 3,939 22.0 1,646 201 12.2 
			 (1) Includes pupils attending maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges and academies including middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes dually registered pupils and boarding pupils. (3) Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals expressed as a percentage of number (headcount) of all pupils. (4) Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals expressed as a percentage of number (headcount) of pupils on the gifted and talented programme.  Source: Schools Census

GCSEs

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what percentage of pupils in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) the Tees Valley and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency achieved more than five A-C grades at GCSE in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what percentage of pupils in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) the Tees Valley and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency achieved more than five GCSE passes in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The information requested is in the following tables:
	
		
			  Proportion of 15 year olds achieving 5+ GCSEs at grades A*-C, 1996/97 to 2005/06( 1, 2, 3) 
			   Constituency  Tees Valley local authorities  Region  National 
			   Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland  Hartlepool  Middlesbrough  Redcar and Cleveland  Stockton on Tees  Darlington  North East  England 
			 1996/97 36.6 29.1 28.5 38.4 39.1 37.5 36.8 45.1 
			 1997/98 36.6 34.6 27.5 38.8 40.0 37.1 37.1 46.3 
			 1998/99 41.4 38.8 31.0 44.6 41.3 42.9 39.4 47.9 
			 1999/2000 43.1 35.7 34.6 45.6 43.7 45.0 41.7 49.2 
			 2000/01 42.2 40.4 35.0 43.4 44.8 47.2 42.5 50.0 
			 2001/02 43.3 42.0 35.8 48.6 46.1 48.7 44.3 51.6 
			 2002/03 42.1 46.0 38.8 47.0 47.1 51.0 46.8 52.9 
			 2003/04 43.6 48.6 40.8 49.0 45.8 49.0 48.7 53.7 
			 2004/05 48.5 51.8 45.2 48.2 54.8 56.7 53.5 56.3 
			 2005/06 47.5 57.5 48.9 50.3 55.3 57.9 57.4 59.2 
		
	
	
		
			  Proportion of 15 year olds achieving 5+ GCSEs at grades A*-G, 1996/97 to 2005/06( 1, 2 ,3) 
			   Constituency  Tees Valley local authorities  Region  National 
			   Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland  Hartlepool  Middlesbrough  Redcar and Cleveland  Stockton on Tees  Darlington  North East  England 
			 1996/97 84.7 80.9 77.1 84.7 85.0 85.4 83.8 86.4 
			 1997/98 86.5 86.1 77.4 86.0 84.3 83.8 85.6 87.5 
			 1998/99 88.7 86.5 80.8 87.9 88.3 87.8 87.1 88.5 
			 1999/2000 90.7 86.1 83.4 89.9 90.3 89.8 88.0 88.9 
			 2000/01 89.4 87.5 85.5 89.6 91.6 90.2 88.2 88.9 
			 2001/02 85.3 88.6 82.5 89.3 90.0 89.6 88.0 88.9 
			 2002/03 85.5 89.4 82.8 89.4 88.2 89.5 87.8 88.8 
			 2003/04 88.2 87.5 83.1 89.8 88.5 89.4 87.9 88.8 
			 2004/05 86.7 89.7 83.0 88.9 88.2 87.1 88.0 89.0 
			 2005/06 88.7 90.7 82.4 90.9 90.2 88.5 89.1 90.5 
			 (1) From 2003/04, percentages include GCSEs and equivalents approved for use pre-16. (2) Percentages in 2005/06 are based on pupils at the end of Key Stage 4. (3 )Figures for 2005/06 are revised; all other figures are final.

GCSEs

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of pupils in maintained schools were not entered for a GCSE in  (a) mathematics,  (b) English and  (c) science in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number and percentage of 15-year-old pupils(1) in maintained schools(2) who did not attempt a GCSE in the subjects listed.
	
		
			  No GCSE attempts of 15-year-old pupils( 1)  in maintained schools( 2)  by subject 
			   Number  Percentage 
			   English  Maths  Science  English  Maths  Science 
			 1997 43,850 43,768 44,702 8.2 8.1 8.3 
			 1998 45,517 39,373 42,492 8.6 7.5 8.1 
			 1999 40,948 34,970 39,539 7.7 6.6 7.4 
			 2000 38,609 32,545 38,480 7.2 6.1 7.2 
			 2001 42,840 35,018 43,255 7.7 6.3 7.7 
			 2002 36,871 28,914 38,013 6.6 5.2 6.8 
			 2003 36,101 30,080 42,947 6.2 5.2 7.4 
			 2004 35,145 28,635 52,683 5.9 4.8 8.8 
			 2005 28,610 21,938 43,939 4.9 3.7 7.4 
			 2006 26,686 20,398 45,252 4.4 3.4 7.5 
			 (1) Pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year (i.e. 31 August).  (2) Includes community schools, voluntary aided schools, voluntary controlled schools, foundation schools, city technology colleges, academies, community special schools, foundation special schools, hospital schools and pupil referral units.

History Teachers

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many  (a) male and  (b) female secondary school history teachers there are in England;
	(2)  what the average age is of secondary school history teachers in England;
	(3)  how many teachers teaching secondary school classes in history in England hold a degree in history.

Jim Knight: Information for the number of maintained secondary school history teachers in England is not available by gender.
	Table 1 provides the number of full-time teachers by age and subject of highest post A level qualification.
	Table 2 provides the number of full-time teachers employed in maintained secondary schools by the highest post A level qualification held in the subjects that they teach to year groups 7-13 in November 2002. This is the latest information available.
	
		
			  Table 1: Full-time teachers: age by subject of highest post A level qualification 
			   History  All subjects 
			  Age as at November  Percentage   Confidence intervals  Percentage   Confidence intervals 
			 Under 30 19 ± 3 20 ± 1 
			 30-39 23 ± 3 24 ± 1 
			 40-49 27 ± 4 29 ± 1 
			 50 or over 30 ± 4 27 ± 1 
			  Source:  Secondary School Curriculum And Staffing Survey, November 2002. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Teachers in service: Full-time teachers in maintained secondary schools—highest post A level qualification( 1)  held in the subjects they teach( 2 ) to year groups 7-13, England 
			   Percentage 
			   Degree( 3)  BEd  PGCE  CertEd  Other Qual.  No Qual.  Total teachers (Thousand) 
			 Mathematics 42 ± 3 15 ± 2 9 ± 2 7 ± 1 2 ± 1 24 ± 2 28.2 
			 English 51 ± 3 15 ± 2 7 ± 1 6 ± 1 1 ± 1 20 ± 2 29.4 
			 
			 Combined/general science 62 ± 3 12 ± 2 10 ± 2 4 ± 1 1 ± 1 11 ± 2 28.3 
			 Biology(4) 71 ± 5 7± 3 11 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± 1 7 ± 3 5.6 
			 Chemistry(4) 72 ± 5 6 ± 3 12 ± 4 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 7 ± 3 5.2 
			 Physics(4) 63 ± 6 11 ± 4 15 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± - 8 ± 3 4.7 
			 Other sciences(4) 10 ± 6 4 ± 4 5 ± 4 - ± - - ± - 80 ± 8 1.6 
			 
			 French 54 ± 3 7 ± 2 10 ± 2 3 ± 1 2 ± 1 23 ± 3 16.0 
			 German 47 ± 5 6 ± 3 13 ± 4 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 30 ± 5 6.9 
			 Spanish 37 ± 7 8 ± 4 19 ± 6 - ± - 3 ± 2 33 ± 7 3.6 
			 Other modern languages 18 ± 8 - ± - 9 ± 7 - ± - 3 ± 4 71 ± 10 1.4 
			 
			 Design and technology(5) 26 ± 3 20 ± 3 7 ± 2 21 ± 3 2 ± 1 24 ± 3 20.9 
			 ICT(5, 6) 13 ± 2 6 ± 1 8 ± 2 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 69 ± 3 18.9 
			 Other/combined technology(5) 30 ± 10 13 ± 8 16 ± 7 18 ± 9 2 ± 3 20 ± 9 1.6 
			 
			 Business studies 30 ± 5 11 ± 4 9 ± 3 4 ± 2 3 ± 2 43 ± 5 6.5 
			 Classics 33 ± 7 - ± - 2 ± 4 2 ± - - ± - 63 ± 7 1.0 
			 History 57± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 6 ± 2 - ± - 23 ± 3 13.7 
			 Religious education 22 ± 3 8 ± 2 8 ± 2 4 ± 1 2 ± 1 57 ± 4 14.2 
			 Geography 53 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 5 ± 2 1 ± 1 25 ± 3 13.7 
			 Other social studies 35 ± 5 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 2 ± 1 - ± 1 54 ± 6 4.9 
			 Combined arts/humanities/social studies 5 ± 3 4 ± 2 7 ± 3 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 83 ± 5 5.3 
			 
			 Music 59 ± 5 15 ± 4 5 ± 2 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 13 ± 4 6.3 
			 Drama 25± 4 10 ± 3 12 ± 3 6 ± 2 2 ± 1 45 ± 5 8.1 
			 Art and design 54 ± 4 10 ± 3 7 ± 2 9 ± 3 1 ± 1 20 ± 4 9.3 
			 Physical education 25 ± 3 31 ± 3 6 ± 2 13 ± 2 2 ± 1 22 ± 2 21.4 
			 Careers education 2 ± 2 1± 2 3 ± 3 4 ± 4 3 ± 4 87 ± 7 1.5 
			 PSHE(6) 1 ± - 1 ± - 2 ± 1 1 ± - - ± - 95 ± 1 61.4 
			 General studies 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 95 ± 2 7.1 
			 Citizenship 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 94 ± 2 9.0 
			 Other — — — — — — 32.8 
			 
			 Total(2, 7) 33 ± - 10 ± - 7 ± - 5 ± - 1 ± - 44 ± - 388.4 
			 ('-') = Zero or less than 0.5.  (1) Where a teacher has more than one post A level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (Degree) to right (Other qualification). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under Degree.  (2) Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching.  (3) Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds.  (4) Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science.  (5) Teachers qualified in other/combined technology are treated as qualified to teach design and technology or information and communication technology. Teachers qualified in design and technology or information and communication technology are treated as qualified to teach other/combined technology.  (6) Information and communication technology is abbreviated as ICT and personal social and health education is abbreviated as PSHE.  (7) "Other" not included in total percentages.  Source:  Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2002.

Looked-after Children

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of looked after children who were reported missing in 2006.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 29 January 2007
	The estimated number of looked after children who were reported missing in 2005-06 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Children looked after who were reported missing in the year ending 31 March 2006( 1,2) —England 
			   2005-06 
			  Placement  Number  Percentage 
			 All children missing from placement 1,000 100 
			
			 In refuge (section 51 of Children Act) 10 0 
			 Whereabouts known (not in refuge) 210 20 
			 Whereabouts unknown 820 79 
			 (1) Source—SSDA903 (2) To maintain the confidentiality of each individual child, data at national level are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 to the nearest 10 otherwise.  Note: Due to rounding percentages do not add up to 100.

Music

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps have been taken to improve music programmes within secondary schools in 2006-07; and what funding has been allocated to that purpose for  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Jim Knight: In 2006-07 support has been given to two projects which help secondary teachers to focus on engaging pupils in their musical learning and so raise standards. These projects are the Secondary Strategy's Key Stage 3 music professional development programme, which received £255,000 of funding support, and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation's Musical Futures project, which received £145,000 of support.
	At the request of Government, the QCA is carrying out a review of the secondary curriculum to reduce prescription, improve coherence and create further opportunities for schools to meet the needs of all their pupils. This will build on the increased engagement created by the above projects. A formal consultation on the new secondary curriculum will begin on 5 February 2007. Revised programmes of study will be available to schools for planning purposes in September 2007, with implementation beginning in September 2008.
	In total we have invested over £500 million into music education between 1999 and 2008. £95 million will be invested in 2007-08 alone, which includes £10 million primarily to boost school singing. The focus of this funding has been on improving access to instrumental and vocal tuition for primary school pupils, which evidence shows to be the time to make the greatest impact on musical take-up. In the future secondary school pupils will have benefited from the £10 million investment in primary schools announced earlier this month.

Private Education

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school students in England are being educated outside the state education system.

Jim Knight: The number and percentage of pupils attending independent schools are given in the table.
	A primary/secondary indicator is not collected from independent schools, so a breakdown by age group has been provided.
	
		
			  Independent schools( 1) : Number and percentage of pupils( 2) as at January 2006—England 
			   Number (headcount) of pupils  
			  Pupils aged( 3)  All schools  Independent schools  Percentage of pupils in independent schools( 4) 
			 
			 Under 5 905,940 64,040 7.1 
			 5 to 10 3,618,470 200,440 5.5 
			 11 to 15 3,238,020 233,820 7.2 
			 16 and over 453,230 82,210 18.1 
			 Total 8,215,660 580,510 7.1 
			 (1) Excludes direct grant nursery schools, city technology colleges and academies (2) Excludes dually registered pupils. (3) Age as at 31 August 2005. (4) The number of pupils in independent schools expressed as a percentage of pupils across all schools.  Note: Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  Schools Census

School Playgrounds: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) school playgrounds and  (b) parts of school playgrounds were sold in Essex in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: In the last five years the Secretary of State has approved four applications that involve the disposal of either a playground or part of a playground at schools in Essex. The details are as follows:
	(i) An application was approved in October 2003 to dispose of the playground at the former Park School, Rayleigh which had closed.
	(ii) In April 2004, an application was approved to dispose of the playground at Harwich Primary School, Harwich. The school had moved to a new site where a new playground of at least equal size replaced that on the old site.
	(iii) In April 2004, an application was approved to dispose of the playground at Little Parndon Infant School, Harlow. The separate infant and junior schools had closed and amalgamated to form one new primary, making the former infant school site redundant.
	(iv) An application to dispose of playground at the former Thomas Tallis Infant School in Waltham Abbey that had closed was approved in June 2004.

Special Educational Needs

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children were in  (a) school action,  (b) early years action,  (c) school action plus and  (d) early years action plus in each local education authority in each year since the scheme's inception.

Jim Knight: The available information has been placed in the House Library.
	Information broken down by school action, early years action, school action plus and early years action plus is not available for all school types for all years requested. Where this breakdown is not available, the total number of pupils with Special Education Needs (SEN) without a statement has been provided.

Special Schools

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children with statements were educated by each local authority at a special school outside the child's local authority area, in each year since 1997.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 22 January 2007
	A table showing the number and percentage of children with statements of Special Educational Need who were educated at a special school outside the child's local authority area, by each local authority for the years 2002 to 2006 has been placed in the Library.

Student Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what factors were taken into account when setting the maximum non-means-tested potential borrowing for a student living away from home and outside London for 2006-07.

Bill Rammell: As in previous years 75 per cent. of the maintenance loan is non-means tested. The maximum loan rates were set to match the median basic expenditure by students based on the 2002/03 Student Income Expenditure Survey.
	All eligible full-time students are able to apply for a non-means tested tuition fee loan to cover their tuition fees up to £3,000.

Underachieving Pupils

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what finances are targeted in 2006-07 to support the underachieving groups of  (a) selected ethnic minorities,  (b) white working class boys and  (c) looked-after children identified on page 29 of his Department's annual report.

Jim Knight: Targeted finances which support underachieving groups are:
	 (a) The Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG), an element of the Standards Fund, provides additional support to raise the educational achievement of minority ethnic pupils and to meet the particular needs of pupils whose first language is other than English. In 2006-07 the Department allocated £173.6 million EMAG funding to local authorities.
	 (b) The Department does not explicitly fund white working class boys and looked after children through the Dedicated School Grant (DSG). However, the Department has estimated that 10.5 per cent. of the £27 billion DSG paid to local authorities in (2006-07) was targeted on deprivation; within that it was estimated that 1.8 per cent. was specifically targeted at black and minority groups with the remaining 8.6 per cent. on general deprivation.
	The Department has also allocated significant funding to support personalised learning within schools' core budgets. In 2007-08 this amounts to £565 million through the Dedicated Schools Grant and £365 million through the School Standards Grant (Personalisation). Schools are encouraged to use this funding to support intervention and catch-up provision for children who have fallen behind in English and Maths; to support the education of gifted and talented learners; and to help learners from deprived backgrounds to access after school and year-round activities.
	 (c) DfES made available a total of £152 million of targeted funding for children's services in 2006-07 through the Children's Services Grant, which includes funding for services for looked after children. The recent green paper Care Matters set out the Government's wide ranging proposals for transforming educational and other outcomes for looked after children.

Political Parties: Expenditure

Oliver Heald: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what research the Electoral Commission has undertaken on the amount of expenditure by political party accounting units with expenditure below £25,000 a year.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has conducted no specific research on this issue. However, as part of its regulatory oversight of party finances, the Commission periodically requests details from all political party accounting units of their income and expenditure to enable it to check that every unit required by law to submit its accounts to the Commission is doing so. The Commission also, for the same purpose, regularly cross-checks information about donations accepted by accounting units against records of accounts submitted.

Pension Credit

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of eligible pensioners not in receipt of pension credit.

James Purnell: Our first priority on taking office was dealing with the situation we inherited of pensioners already living in poverty. Since 1997 one million pensioners have been lifted out of relative poverty thanks to measures like pension credit.
	The White Paper "Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pensions System" announced our commitment to secure these gains into the future by uprating both the basic state pension and the standard minimum guarantee in pension credit in line with earnings over the long-term.
	The latest available estimate is for 2004-05 when around one to one and a half million pensioners were thought to be eligible for but not receiving pension credit.

Pension Credit: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households received pension credit in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne in each year in  (a) May 2005 and  (b) May 2006; and what the annual pension credit expenditure was in each ward in each year.

James Purnell: The answer is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Household recipients of pension credit and the cost of pension credit expenditure for wards in Newcastle upon Tyne local authority, May 2005 and May 2006 
			  Ward name  Number of household recipients, 2005  Annual pension credit expenditure 2004-05 (£ million, nominal terms)  Number of household recipients, 2006  Annual pension credit expenditure 2005-06 (£ million, nominal terms) 
			 Benwall 645 1.4 625 1.5 
			 Blakelaw 840 1.7 855 1.9 
			 Byker 990 2.2 960 2.2 
			 Castle 380 0.8 380 0.8 
			 Dene 565 1.1 570 1.2 
			 Denton 800 1.5 805 1.6 
			 Elswick 600 1.6 595 1.6 
			 Fawdon 730 1.6 750 1.8 
			 Fenham 795 1.6 795 1.8 
			 Grange 640 1.4 635 1.4 
			 Heaton 380 0.8 380 0.9 
			 Jesmond 285 0.7 285 0.7 
			 Kenton 645 1.4 630 1.5 
			 Lemington 595 1.2 595 1.3 
			 Monkchester 795 1.9 765 2.0 
			 Moorside 640 1.5 620 1.6 
			 Newburn 730 1.4 745 1.6 
			 Sandyford 690 1.5 685 1.6 
			 Scotswood 430 1.0 435 1.1 
			 South Gosforth 260 0.5 260 0.5 
			 Walker 920 2.0 900 2.1 
			 Walkergate 710 1.5 705 1.7 
			 West City 695 1.8 675 1.8 
			 Westerhope 625 1.2 640 1.3 
			 Wingrove 395 1.0 410 1.1 
			 Woolsington 710 1.5 705 1.5 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne local authority total 16,410 35.9 16,390 38.2 
			  Notes: 1. Expenditure figures are consistent with the pre-Budget report 2006 and are rounded to the nearest £100,000. 2. The number of households in receipt are rounded to a multiple of five. 3. As a result of 1. and 2., ward totals may not sum to area totals. 4. Case loads and average weekly amounts for May 2005 and May 2006 have been used to calculate the annual expenditure figures for each ward in Newcastle local authority. 5. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. 6. Wards are based on 2003 ward boundaries.  Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

Pensions

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women will receive entitlements to the state second pension as a result of the Government's pension proposals.

James Purnell: As a result of reform around one million more people will build up entitlement to state second pension from 2010, 90 per cent. of whom will be women.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will break down the cost of proposed reforms to the state second pension, as shown in figure 9 of the Pensions White Paper, 'Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pension System', to show the  (a) (i) gross and (ii) net costs of reforms to accrual rules on the basis of existing coverage and  (b) (A) gross and (B) net costs of changes to coverage.

James Purnell: Under our reforms to the state second pension, individuals will accrue a new flat rate amount of £1.40 a week for each year spent working or caring. This will replace the great complexity of the existing flat rate calculation. The residual earnings related element will gradually be withdrawn over 20 years. These significant simplification measures and our proposals to increase coverage of state second pension will ensure that those people who work or who have caring responsibilities will more easily recognise the value of the contribution they make.
	The following table contains the projected additional cost of state second pension reform. Column (a) shows the additional costs of flat-rating and simplifying the state second pension on the basis of existing coverage measures. Column (b) shows the additional costs of improving coverage of the state second pension, after flat-rating and simplification.
	
		
			  Gross and net costs of S2P reforms (in 2006-07 price terms) 
			  £ billion 
			   (a) Additional cost of flat-rating and simplification (without coverage measures)  (b) Additional cost of coverage measures (after flat-rating and simplification) 
			   Gross  Net  Gross  Net 
			 2010 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 2011 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 2012 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 2013 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 2014 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 2015 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 2016 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 2017 -0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 2018 -0.1 -0.1 0.0 0.0 
			 2019 -0.1 -0.1 0.1 0.0 
			 2020 -0.1 -0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 2030 0.2 0.2 0.6 0.4 
			 2040 0.9 0.7 1.7 1.4 
			 2050 1.0 0.8 3.5 2.8 
			  Notes: 1. Estimates of additional expenditure are consistent with the policy detail set out in the Regulatory Impact Assessment accompanying the Pensions Bill. Net costs include savings seen from reduced expenditure on other income related benefits (pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit). They do not include any change in income tax revenue or national insurance. 2. Net costs assume the pension credit standard minimum guarantee is uprated by earnings from 2008. Net costs do not include the effect of direct reforms to the savings credit. 3. Costs assume contracting-out of DC schemes is abolished in 2012. Column (b) assumes the state second pension has already been flat-rated and simplified. Applying the changes in a different order would alter the gross and net cost of each individual policy, but not the total additional cost of reform. 4. Abolition of contracting-out for DC schemes from 2012 decreases the cost of the contracted-out rebate. This is not included in the figures above. 5. Costs or savings presented in the table are based on long-term projections of United Kingdom benefit spend, consistent with the pre-Budget report 2006. 6. Figures exclude savings resulting from raising state pension age. 7. Figures exclude the effect of personal accounts.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact on current pension providers in lost charges and fees of the introduction of personal accounts and the capture by personal accounts of £3.2 billion of contributions currently being made to them as suggested on page 23 of the White Paper Personal Accounts: a new way to save.

James Purnell: The proposals contained in the White Paper, 'Personal accounts - a new way to save' present a significant opportunity to the financial services industry, including pension providers. As a result of automatic enrolment, pension schemes and providers in the existing employer-sponsored arena will see an increase in membership and contributions. The personal accounts scheme will be delivered by the private sector creating competition for new contracts for administration and fund management services. It is estimated that the reforms will result in an annual increase in household saving of £4-5 billion a year, and in the long term the personal accounts scheme will have between £100-200 billion in funds under management.

Pensions

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his Answer of 29 January 2007,  Official Report, column 98W, on pensions, for what reason UK pensioners are index linked for UK citizens living in  (a) Bermuda,  (b) Gibraltar and  (c) Sovereign bases on Cyprus and not in the other countries mentioned in the Answer.

James Purnell: Annual upratings of the state pension are paid under:
	 (a) the EC's Social Security Regulations, which apply to pensioners who have a UK state pension living in the European Economic Area and Switzerland; and
	 (b) reciprocal social security agreements with other countries, which allow for annual uprating to be paid there.
	The EC Social Security Regulations apply to both Gibraltar and to the whole of the island of Cyprus, including the sovereign base areas. A reciprocal social security agreement exists with Bermuda. We are therefore required to pay the annual uprating in these countries.
	The remaining British Overseas Territories are not covered by either the EC Regulations or a reciprocal social security agreement.
	We have no plans to negotiate any new reciprocal agreements.

Benefit Helplines

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff will be answering calls on each of his Department's benefit helplines between 23 December 2006 and 3 January 2007.

Anne McGuire: The number of people answering calls at any helpline may vary during each day in order to provide a consistent level service to the varying volume of calls being received.
	In arriving at staffing levels for normal or seasonal days, helplines take account of historical data on the volume of calls expected, anticipated impacts such as mailings campaigns and provide appropriate staffing levels. All DWP contact centres are closed on a normal Sunday and Bank Holidays apart from two helplines operated by Private Sector Partners—the Pensions Information Line and Pensions Guide Order Line.
	The information that is available is recorded in the following table and provides the maximum number of staff available to answer calls:
	
		
			   Saturday 23 December 2006  Sunday 24 December 2006  Wednesday27 December 2006  Thursday 28 December 2006  Friday 29 December 2006 
			 Benefit Enquiry Line (BEL) 0 0 0 28 26 
			 Disability Living Allowance (DLA) 0 0 0 219 203 
			 Child Support Agency (CSA)(1) 40 0 38 193 191 
			 Debt Mngmt(2) 0 0 22 195 193 
			 Jobcentre Plus Direct (First Contact) 0 0 99(3) 1,429 937 
			 Jobcentre Plus Direct (Jobseeker Direct) 31 0 57(3) 454 473 
			 Jobcentre Plus Direct (Employer Direct) 4 0 27(3) 137 115 
			 Jobcentre Plus Direct (National Benefit Fraud) 0 0 0(4) 55 52 
			 Jobcentre Plus Direct (National Insurance Number Allocation) 0 0 0 185 169 
			 Pension Centres 0 0 152(3) 897 847 
			 Pensions Direct 0 0 0 117 98 
			 Pension Credit Application Line 0 0 0 40 40 
			 Pension Guide Order Line 2 1 0 11 16 
			 Pension Info Order Line 3 3 4(4) 4 4 
			 Future Pension Centre 0 0 0 120 116 
			 RP Tele Claims 0 0 0 50 50 
			 Winter Fuel Helpline 0 0 45(4) 78 72 
		
	
	
		
			   Saturday 30 December 2006  Sunday 31 December 2006  Monday 1 January 2007  Tuesday 2 January 2007  Wednesday 3 January 2007 
			 Benefit Enquiry Line (BEL) 0 0 0 44 50 
			 Disability Living Allowance (DLA) 0 0 0 357 372 
			 Child Support Agency (CSA)(1) 42 0 0 349 413 
			 Debt Mngmt(2) 0 0 0 250 360 
			 Jobcentre Plus Direct (First Contact) 0 0 0 1,435(3) 1,121 
			 Jobcentre Plus Direct (Jobseeker Direct) 35 0 0 586(3) 581 
			 Jobcentre Plus Direct (Employer Direct) 7 0 0 208(3) 248 
			 Jobcentre Plus Direct (National Benefit Fraud) 0 0 0 79(3) 85 
			 Jobcentre Plus Direct (National Insurance Number Allocation) 0 0 0 233(3) 283 
			 Pension Centres 0 0 0 952 1,146 
			 Pensions Direct 0 0 0 109 117 
			 Pension Credit Application Line 0 0 0 100 100 
			 Pension Guide Order Line 11 0 8 22 24 
			 Pension Info Order Line 2 2 0 7 6 
			 Future Pension Centre 0 0 0 149 185 
			 RP Tele Claims 0 0 0 67 62 
			 Winter Fuel Helpline 0 0 0 77 81 
			 (1) CSA do not run a benefits helpline, it answers calls on live cases or general inquiries on child support. If a caller has a case with an open task the call is routed to a caseworker, if not, or it is a general inquiry then the call goes to our dedicated contact centre network. The figures shown are for the dedicated contact centres only and throughout this period in addition to these staff there were more than 2,000 caseworkers also available to take calls on any of the days in question. (2 )Debt Management do not operate benefit helplines. They provide service for customers to contact to discuss the repayment of overpayments of benefit or certain Social Fund loans. (3 )Three Scottish Jobcentre Plus contact centres were operational on the 27 December and to deal with Scottish calls only. On 2 January the same three contact centres were closed with their English business diverted to contact centres open in England. Pension figure is for centres in Scotland only. (4 )Figures are for staff working for Private Sector Partners who field calls on behalf of the Pension Service and National Benefit Fraud Hotline.  Note: All DWP helplines were closed on Christmas day and Boxing day.

Committees: Ministerial Attendance

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what occasions  (a) he and  (b) departmental Ministers have been requested to appear before committees of (i) devolved institutions and (ii) the European Parliament since 2004; on what topic in each case; how many and what proportion of such requests were accepted; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Since 2004, there have been no requests for a DWP Secretary of State or DWP Minister to appear before a committee of the European Parliament, but there have been two occasions when they have attended an EPC.
	My right hon. Friend, David Blunkett, the then Secretary of State, and my hon. Friend, James Plaskitt, Parliamentary Under Secretary (Commons), appeared before the European Parliament Employment and Social Affairs Committee on 11 July 2005, to give a presentation on the UK Presidency programme.
	My hon. Friend, James Plaskitt, Parliamentary Under Secretary (Commons), appeared before the European Parliament Employment and Social Affairs Committee on 22 November 2005, to discuss the EPSCO December Council and the UK Presidential achievements.
	Since 2004, there have been no requests for a DWP Minister to appear before any committee of the devolved institutions.

Departmental Expenditure

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on buying, operating and supporting  (a) all commercial software products and  (b) software products produced by Microsoft in each of the last three years.

Anne McGuire: As the Department's accounting systems do not provide detailed information about commercial software products, therefore I am unable to provide the information requested.

Departmental Expenditure

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the public information advertising campaigns his Department has run in 2006-07; and how much his Department has spent on  (a) press and  (b) television advertising in each campaign.

Anne McGuire: A table listing all public information advertising campaigns run by the Department of Work and Pensions in 2006-07 is shown as follows. Figures are included for the spend to date on press and television advertising where applicable.
	
		
			  2006-07 
			  £000 
			 Campaign/subject  Press  TV 
			 Age Positive 37 — 
			 State Pension Deferral 42 — 
			 State Second Pension — — 
			 Fraud and Error Campaign 3 1,717 
			 National Pensions Debate — — 
			 Pension Credit 282 — 
			 Disability Discrimination Act Phase 3 — — 
			 Winter fuel payments 326 — 
			 Images of disability — — 
			 Age Partnership Group 8 — 
			 Jobseeker Direct campaign — — 
			 Scotland Jobcentre Plus campaign — — 
			 Jobcentre Plus BME campaign — — 
			 Jobcentre Plus Lone Parent Awareness Campaign — — 
			 Total 698 1,717 
			  Notes: 1. The tables do not include the following as the information is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost: spend by non-departmental bodies for which the Department is responsible details of highly localised publicity activity by the Department's customer-facing businesses recruitment or procurement advertising 2. The figures in these tables refer to media spend only, excluding production, direct mail, public relations and other costs. 3. All figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand. 4. All figures are quoted net of VAT. 5. Press includes national press, regional press, specialist press, advertorials and featurelink, to provide costs for newspaper only advertising would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Expenditure

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of expenditure by his Department in each of the Government Office regions in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: Chapter 7 of the annual Treasury publication, 'Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses' details expenditure on services in the regions and countries of the United Kingdom.
	Identifiable spending in each region of England by Government Department for 2004-05 (latest available data) is contained within table 7.19 of the 2006 edition of PESA.
	The 2006 edition of PESA is available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/economic_data_and_tools/finance_spendingstatistics/pespublications/pespubpesa06.cfm

Disability Equality Duty

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how he plans to make Government information available to deaf and blind people under the Disability Equality Duty.

Anne McGuire: The Disability Equality Duty, which came into force on 4 December, requires by law that public sector bodies, including all Government Departments, executive agencies and Ministers, promote equality for disabled people. All Government Departments and agencies were required to produce a Disability Equality Scheme setting out how they will achieve this by December 2006.
	The DWP published its DES on 1 December while its four businesses—Child Support Agency, Job Centre Plus, Disability and Carers Service and the Pensions Service—have published their own schemes. We worked closely with disabled customers, representative groups and leading disabled charities in developing these schemes and will continue to consult them as we review and improve the schemes over time.
	We ensure that all our customers can access our information by:
	providing a variety of alternative formats, including Braille, large print, audiocassette, British Sign Language (BSL) tape and Easy Read guide where appropriate, ensuring that alternative formats are available at the same time as English and Welsh versions;
	ensuring that customers can still access our information when their chosen alternative format is not available. For example, as part of the consultation on the Welfare Reform Green Paper, we worked closely with charities to organise briefings for groups of disabled people on the key proposals. We adopted the same approach when seeking the views of disabled people on the Child Support White Paper.
	We have also recently published a new Accessible Written Information Standard which sets the minimum level which all the Department's written communications must meet in order to be accessible.

Engagements

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what dates Ministers in his Department and its predecessors made official visits to the London boroughs of  (a) Tower Hamlets,  (b) Newham and  (c) Waltham Forest in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: It is custom for a Minister when preparing to make a visit within the United Kingdom to inform the Members of the constituencies to be included within their itinerary.
	Information on ministerial visits within the UK is not collected centrally. It is likely that the information requested, about visits undertaken since 1997, will be available only at disproportionate cost.

Executive Agencies

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by each of his Department's Executive agencies in each Government office region in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: The Department's Executive agencies do not record their total expenditure by Government office regions. Therefore the information is not available in the format requested. The information requested could be supplied only at disproportionate cost to the Department.

Executive Agencies

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which executive agencies are the responsibility of his Department; what the function is of each agency; and what the budget was of each agency in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: The executive agencies that were the responsibility of the Department for Work and Pensions at 31 March 2006 were:
	Jobcentre Plus
	Child Support Agency
	The Pension Service
	Disability and Carers Service
	Appeals Service (transferred to Department of Constitutional Affairs April 2006)
	The Rent Service
	A description of the purpose and objectives of each agency, together with the latest expenditure figures can be found in each executive agency's published annual report and accounts for 2005-06. These documents are available to view on the internet and are also published by The Stationery Office (TSO). The documents can be accessed via the following links:
	Jobcentre Plus annual report and accounts 2005-06
	Child Support Agency annual report and accounts 2005-06
	Disability and Carers Service annual report and accounts 2005-06
	The Pension Service—About Us—The Pension Service Annual Report
	Appeals Service annual report and accounts 2005-2006
	http://www.therentservice.gov.uk/documents/corporate_publications/TRSAnnualReport200506.pdf

Fatal Accidents: Workers

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many fatal accidents at work occurred in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006; and how many have occurred in 2007.

Anne McGuire: The latest number of work related fatalities were released in the Health and Safety Commission's (HSC) "Statistics of Fatal Injuries" published in August 2006. Each reporting year covers the period 1 April to 31 March. The 212 reported fatal injuries to workers in 2005-06 was the lowest on record and showed a 5 per cent. reduction over the 2004-05 figure of 223. The rate of fatal injury also fell by 5 per cent. to 0.71 fatalities per 100,000 workers, again the lowest on record. Figures for 2006-07 will not be available until July 2007.
	There has been a significant improvement in the number of fatalities in the construction industry and in the overall number of deaths resulting from falls in the workplace; in both areas these are the lowest figures on record.
	Although we are making progress, I remain concerned that so many people continue to lose their lives at work. Whilst I and HSC wish to see further reduction in work related fatalities, it requires a major effort by all concerned to maintain even the present relatively low levels.

Fatal Accidents: Workers

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Health and Safety Executive records accidents that occur when workers are being transported to work by their employers.

Anne McGuire: No. Employers are required to record, and report to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) only accidents that are covered by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR).
	Work-related incidents which are not reportable under RIDDOR 1995, include those related to transport activities where safety regulation is not primarily the responsibility of health and safety enforcing authorities, including most road transport incidents, as well as civil aviation and merchant shipping.

Financial Assistance Scheme

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been paid out by the Financial Assistance Scheme since its inception.

James Purnell: As at 26 January 2007, the Financial Assistance Scheme has paid out more then £3 million to 871 qualifying members.
	A further 91 members will be paid as soon as they have confirmed their personal details, and an additional 196 members have been assessed and will be eligible for FAS when they reach age.

Financial Assistance Scheme

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Financial Assistance Scheme in retrospectively protecting members of collapsed private sector pension schemes.

James Purnell: We reviewed the scheme last spring and extended it in May's Pensions White Paper. This review increases the funding from £400 million in cash terms to £2.3 billion in cash terms or £783 million NPV.
	We also reviewed the administration of the scheme and published our findings in July 2006. Since then we have made good progress to implement the findings.

Financial Assistance Scheme

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the average time taken to process applications made to the Financial Assistance Scheme in the last 12 months.

James Purnell: Before the financial assistance scheme is able to start processing applications for individual scheme members, the pension scheme has to complete the notification and qualification processes. These involve the trustees and administrators providing basic scheme information to the FAS Operational Unit. They then have six months to provide data on individual members before a notice requiring provision of this information can be issued.
	'Notification' of a scheme occurs when trustees or members formally notify FAS of their scheme's basic details, after which a scheme can then be considered for FAS qualification. As at 29 December 2006, the average time taken (since FAS operations started in September 2005) from 'notification' of a scheme to the date of the first payment to a member of the scheme was 190 working days.
	Within this period, the average time taken (over the last 12 months) by the FAS Operational Unit from first receipt from the trustees or administrators of member data to the date of the first payment to a member of the scheme was 24 working days.

Furniture

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by British firms in each year since 2000.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions has a PFI contract with Land Securities Trillium (LST). The contract includes the provision of fully fitted and serviced accommodation for which the Department pays an all-inclusive unitary charge. This includes replacement furniture. Additional furniture for large projects is procured via LST and billed separately.
	It is not possible to determine how much of the unitary charge relates to furniture, but the amounts spent on additional furniture are detailed as follows. While it is not known how much of this was made by British firms LST's service partner responsible for furniture provision procures approximately 90 per cent. from British suppliers.
	The financial year 2002-03 is the first for which figures are readily available.
	
		
			  Financial year  Amount (£ million) 
			 2002-03 6 
			 2003-04 19 
			 2004-05 10 
			 2005-06 10 
			 2006-07 (to November 2006) 7

Government Auctions

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions where his Department publishes information about Government auctions  (a) which it arranges and  (b) to which it contributes in (i) Blackpool, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) the North West; and when the next such auction will take place in each area.

Anne McGuire: Any assets we auction are arranged auctions by an external third party and we are unaware of any specific arranged auctions.

Health and Safety Executive

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of litigation have been brought against  (a) the Health and Safety Executive and  (b) the Health and Safety Commission since May 1997; and what damages have been paid.

Anne McGuire: The Health and Safety Executive does not keep records of civil cases brought against it/the Commission in a way that enables a full answer to be given to this question.
	The Executive's finance section keeps records (going back to 2002) of payments made by the Executive/Commission which follow  (a) settlement of very small claims 'without admission of liability'  (b) settlement out of court, on legal advice, to compromise actions and  (c) awards of damages/costs following unsuccessful defences of actions.
	These figures are set out in the table as follows. They will not include cases brought against the Executive/Commission which were unsuccessful.
	
		
			  Compensation claims settled by HSE—including minor claims for (eg) damage to clothing and tyres. Claims over £200 include personal injury and vehicle 
			   Staff—Number of payments  Total paid (£)  Public—Number of payments  Total paid (£) 
			 2002-03 
			 Under £200 20 724.27 0 0.00 
			 Over £200 0 0.00 0 0.00 
			  
			  2003-04 
			 Under £200 30 1,252.99 0 0.00 
			 Over £200 4 24,048.37 2 1,684.63 
			  
			  2004-05 
			 Under £200 16 807.82 0 0.00 
			 Over £200 1 845.95 2 246,125.11 
			  
			  2005-06 
			 Under £200 7 189.84 0 0.00 
			 Over £200 5 13,179.33 1 600.00 
			  
			  2006-07 to date 
			 Under £200 11 283.11 2 155.00 
			 Over £200 3 16,215.00 2 857.98

Incapacity Benefit

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) Ribble Valley are in receipt of incapacity benefit; and how many of those people have been in receipt of incapacity benefit for (i) up to one year, (ii) one to two years, (iii) two to five years and (iv) over five years.

Anne McGuire: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants by duration of claim in the Ribble Valley and Lancashire as at 31 May 2006 
			   All  Up to 1 year  1 year and up to 2 years  2 years and up to 5 years  5 years and over 
			 Lancashire 61,700 8,700 5,520 13,390 34,090 
			 Ribble Valley borough council 1,860 240 150 360 1,120 
			 Ribble Valley parliamentary constituency 3,260 390 270 640 1,970 
			  Notes: 1 .Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. 'Claimant' figures include all incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance and incapacity benefit credits-only cases.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. Data.

Incapacity Benefit

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the estimated  (a) on-flows and  (b) off-flows for incapacity benefits are for each year to 2019-20 (i) under current policies and (ii) taking into account the proposed policy changes in the recent papers A new deal for welfare: Empowering people to work, and Security in retirement : towards a new pensions system.

Anne McGuire: Projected estimates of the numbers flowing onto and off incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance, consistent with published projections of the number of claimants under current policies, are shown in the table.
	Based on existing evidence, these forecasts take into account the positive impact from Pathways to Work in the third of the country currently covered, as well as the effect of the equalisation of state pension age.
	Forecasts that take into account further proposed policy changes in the recent papers, "A new deal for welfare: Empowering people to work" and "Security in retirement: towards a new pensions system", are not available at this time.
	
		
			  Estimated numbers of working age claimants flowing onto and off incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance from 2005-06 to 2019-20 (thousands) 
			   Claimants  Flows - on  Flows - off 
			 2005-06 2,710 610 650 
			 2006-07 2,650 590 670 
			 2007-08 2,570 570 650 
			 2008-09 2,490 560 620 
			 2009-10 2,430 560 620 
			 2010-11 2,400 580 590 
			 2011-12 2,390 580 600 
			 2012-13 2,370 590 600 
			 2013-14 2,360 590 600 
			 2014-15 2,350 600 600 
			 2015-16 2,360 600 600 
			 2016-17 2,380 600 580 
			 2017-18 2,410 610 590 
			 2018-19 2,440 610 580 
			 2019-20 2,470 620 590 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000.  2. Figures are based on the published pre-Budget report 2006 claimant estimates.  3. Figures are forecasts and are therefore subject to future revisions.  4. Figures include the estimated impact of roll-out of Pathways to Work to one-third of Great Britain.  5. Figures include estimates of the impact of equalisation of state pension age on the incapacity benefit caseload.  6. The balance between flows-on and flows-off will not reconcile to year-on-year changes in claimant forecast, owing to the rounding of all figures to the nearest 10,000 cases and the within-year averaging applied to the claimant forecast.

IT Systems

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on IT systems since March; what the purpose of each system is; what the outturn against planned expenditure of each system has been; and what the  (a) planned and  (b) actual date of completion was for each system.

Anne McGuire: The Department and its businesses currently have in excess of 90 individual projects which encompass information technology (IT) changes to a greater or lesser extent. The Department's major projects are those contained in its modernisation programme. For the most part, these projects embrace both IT and business change.
	The information in the table lists the Department's current major programmes and projects that include significant IT change, where they are either on-going or have completed implementation since March 2006. The table shows for these projects/programmes information on their purpose, due end date, planned expenditure, outturn and actual end date. It should be noted that project details may alter as they pass through the project lifecycle and as the Department considers its wider plans as part of the normal spending review process.
	
		
			  Project  Purpose  Due end date  Planned expenditure (£ million)  Outturn (£ million)( 1)  Actual end date 
			 Pensions Transformation Project The programme will transform the Pension Service, bringing together business and IT change in ways that improve customer service and deliver efficiencies. 2010 829 Project on-going Project on-going 
			 Customer Information System This project will deliver a database of key citizen information to be shared across DWP. The database will complement information currently available in the Department's key customer information systems, i.e. Personal Details Computer System and Departmental Central Index, and become their replacement. July 2007 83 Project on-going Project on-going 
			 Resource Management This programme will provide modernised HR, financial and procurement functions for DWP staff. It will introduce significant business process change, enabling departmental resources to be managed more effectively. June 2007 208 Project on-going Project on-going 
			 Debt Management The Department Programme introduced a new organisational structure based on 10 Debt Centres and a Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) package to provide new Management Information Systems, combined with increased focus on the management and ultimately reduction of debt stock. February 2006 103 103 31 May 2006 
			 Central Payments System(formerly part of Payment Modernisation) New payment processing IT functionality is required to support the DWP to process payments for new entitlement management and financial scheduling systems. March 2010 141 Project on-going Project on-going 
			 (1) Outturn figures show the final investment cost for the completed projects.   Note:  The planned expenditure is: for projects currently in progress, the latest forecast investment expenditure; or for completed projects, the final approved investment expenditure.

Low Incomes: Disabled

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department gives to low income households with children with disabilities.

Anne McGuire: My Department offers a range of provision for children with disabilities in low income families, from direct financial support such as disability living allowance to employment-related programmes for their parents.

New Deal

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria his Department uses to assess the performance of the new deal programme.

Jim Murphy: A wide range of indicators are used to assess the performance of new deal programmes. National Statistics are used to monitor the number of job entries, including sustained jobs, achieved by new deal participants. Contracts with external providers are monitored to ensure high quality services are delivered in a cost effective way, and we also evaluate the new deals using a range of social research methods. Published reports are placed in the Library.

Personal Accounts

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether all the revenue expenditure to be incurred by the personal accounts delivery authority will be found from within his current departmental expenditure limit.

James Purnell: We are currently undertaking work to consider finance structures of personal accounts, taking into account value for money and affordability and will bring forward proposals in due course.

Personal Accounts

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish the analysis that supports the statement that most people are unlikely to remain in multiple jobs throughout their working life on page 65 of the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the White Paper, "Personal Accounts: a new way to save".

James Purnell: Figures from the Family Resources Survey show that there are relatively few individuals, an estimated 330,000, who have multiple jobs, earn more than £5,000 per year and are not currently contributing to a private pension. Analyses of such small groups using the FRS sample are not robust enough for publication, but can be used to provide broad indications of the characteristics of individuals within the group. Further analysis using the main longitudinal surveys is not possible as sample size are smaller than for the Family Resources Survey, increasing the risk that individuals within the sample will be unrepresentative of the overall group.
	The following table shows an analysis of the individuals from the 2004-05 Family Resources Survey with multiple jobs who earn more than £5,000 per year and are not currently contributing to a private pension, by age band and employment status. Although these figures do not provide firm evidence of the employment patterns of a group of individuals over the course of their working lives, they show considerable variation across different age groups, providing some indicative evidence that the characteristics of the group vary at different points of the working life, and suggesting that the majority of individuals currently in multiple jobs are unlikely to remain in multiple jobs throughout their working life.
	
		
			   Full time  Part time 
			  Age band  Men  Women  Men  Women 
			 16 to 21 22,000 17,000 7,000 10,000 
			 22 to 29 29,000 25,000 8,000 15,000 
			 30 to 39 23,000 20,000 3,000 20,000 
			 40 to 49 17,000 12,000 4,000 30,000 
			 50 and over 9,000 19,000 15,000 27,000 
			  Source:  Family Resources Survey 2004-05.

Personal Accounts

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in what circumstances an individual would be better off transferring money into a personal account, as described in the White Paper, "Personal Accounts: a new way to save", rather than into an ISA invested in an equity tracking fund.

James Purnell: Individuals would need to consider a variety of personal and financial factors before deciding whether to save in their personal account or an alternative savings vehicle. However, as well as a matching employer contribution of 3 per cent. those saving in Personal Accounts will benefit from low charges and generous tax relief.

Personal Accounts

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assumptions were made with regard to the number of years contribution for  (a) figure 6a and  (b) figure 6b on page 35 of the White Paper Personal Accounts: a new way to save.

James Purnell: Figures 6a and 6b show the potential payback from saving for retirement with and without the proposed reforms. They assume the individual neither works nor has caring responsibilities until the age of 25, then they make national insurance contributions and contribute to a personal account at the default rate until retiring at state pension age.
	Details of this and other assumptions underlying these figures are contained in Appendix A of 'Financial incentives to save for retirement'.

Personal Accounts

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the White Paper "Personal Accounts: a new way to save", what assumptions were made in estimating that approximately 60 per cent. of money saved in personal accounts will be new saving.

James Purnell: The estimate that approximately 60 per cent. of money saved in personal accounts will be new saving is based on the results of a literature survey carried out for DWP.
	The 60 per cent. is the middle point of a range of 50-70 per cent. that was put forward in the report as a plausible assumption for the average level of new savings in NPSS or similar personal account schemes.
	It is this range that is used in the White Paper and the accompanying regulatory impact assessment, which note that personal accounts would generate pension savings of £7-8 billion per year, of which approximately £4-5 billion are expected to be additional.

Public Appointments

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which public appointments have been made by his Department to former Ministers who have served in the Government since May 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Department has made no public appointments to former Government Ministers who have served in the Government since May 1997.
	Baroness Hollis, who was Pensions Minister in the Lords, is currently on the Board of The Pensions Advisory Service but she was appointed by the TPAS Board not the Department.
	This response covers all departmental public bodies listed in the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies 2006".

Terminally Ill People

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  on what grounds a decision maker may overrule the opinion of a qualified medical practitioner on eligibility for a DS1500 claim;
	(2)  how many DS1500 claims were  (a) granted and  (b) refused in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and in what proportion of claims a decision-maker called for additional information before making a decision in each year.

Anne McGuire: Decision Makers do not overrule the opinion of a qualified medical practitioner about benefit entitlement on form DS1500 because the form is not a claim for benefit and does not contain such an opinion. The form contains purely factual information about a patient's diagnosis, the clinical features of their condition and their treatment. It is completed, at the request of a patient or their representative, by a registered medical practitioner where they consider that the patient may have a potentially terminal illness, and is submitted with a claim form for benefit under the "special rules" for terminally ill people.
	These rules enable people who have a progressive disease, from which their death can reasonably be expected within six months, to qualify immediately for either higher-rate attendance allowance or the highest-rate of the disability living allowance care component without meeting the usual entitlement conditions. The rules also enable these people to receive the highest rate of incapacity benefit after 28 weeks rather than the usual 52 weeks.
	Decision Makers are entirely responsible for deciding whether a person is entitled to benefit under the "special rules" and, for this purpose, take advice from DWP Medical Services doctors on all "special rules" claims about whether the person by, or for whom, the claim is made has a progressive disease, from which their death can reasonably be expected within 6 months.
	Figures are not kept for the number of "special rules" claims on which decision makers seek information in addition to that provided on form DS1500, and figures are not kept separately for the number of special rules claims that are disallowed.. The information that is available about "special rules" claims decided in each of the last five years is in the table.
	
		
			  Attendance allowance and disability living allowance and [ii] Incapacity Benefit—number of claims in which benefit was awarded under the "special rules" in each year from 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			  ( 1) Attendance allowance and disability living allowance ( 2) Incapacity benefit 
			 2001-02 70,100 500 
			 2002-03 65,800 400 
			 2003-04 63,000 600 
			 2004-05 62,500 400 
			 2005-06 58,100 400 
			  Sources: (1 )DWP Information Directorate, 5 per cent. samples. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. (2 )DWP Information Directorate, 5 per cent. samples. Figures are for the 12 months ending on 31 May in 2002 and in each subsequent year, and are rounded to the nearest 100.

Winter Fuel Payments

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many qualifying former UK residents living in  (a) Greece,  (b) Spain,  (c) Italy,  (d) Malta,  (e) Cyprus and  (f) Portugal received winter fuel payments allowance in each year for which figures are available; and how much was spent on those payments during that period.

James Purnell: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 9 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 573-74W.

Council of Europe Conventions

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Council of Europe conventions have been signed by the United Kingdom but not yet ratified; and what the dates of  (a) signature and  (b) expected ratification are in each case.

Kim Howells: The UK has signed but not yet ratified 19 Council of Europe Conventions as follows:
	
		
			  Treaties signed but not ratified as of 30 January 2007 
			  Number  Title  Opening of the treaty  Entry into force 
			 046 Protocol No. 4 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, securing certain rights and freedoms other than those already included in the Convention and in the first Protocol thereto 16 September 1963 2 May 1968 
			  Signature: 16 September1963   
			 
			 072 Convention relating to Stops on Bearer Securities in International Circulation 28 May 1970 11 February 1979 
			  Signature: 28 May 1970   
			 
			 077 Convention on the Establishment of a Scheme of Registration of Wills 16 May 1972 20 March 1976 
			  Signature 16 May 1972   
			 
			 101 European Convention on the Control of the Acquisition and Possession of Firearms by Individuals 28 June 1978 1 July 1982 
			  Signature: 28 June 1978   
			 
			 102 European Convention for the Protection of Animals for Slaughter 10 May 1979 11 June 1982 
			  Signature: 10 May 1979   
			 
			 142 Protocol amending the European Social Charter   
			  Signature: 21 October 1991 21 October 1991 — 
			 
			 144 Convention on the Participation of Foreigners in Public Life at Local Level 5 February 1992 1 May 1997 
			  Signature: 5 February 1992   
			 
			 153 European Convention relating to questions on Copyright Law and Neighbouring Rights in the Framework of Trans frontier Broadcasting by Satellite 11 May1994 — 
			  Signature: 2 October 1996   
			 
			 156 Agreement on illicit traffic by sea, implementing Article 17 of the United Nations Convention against illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances 31 January 1995 1 May 2000 
			  Signature: 31 January 1995   
			 
			 163 European Social Charter (revised) 3 May 1996 1 July 1999 
			  Signature: 7 November 1997   
			 
			 174 Civil Law Convention on Corruption 4 November 1999 1 November 2003 
			  Signature: 8 June 2000   
			 175 European Convention on the Promotion of a Transnational Long-Term Voluntary Service for Young People 11 May 2000 — 
			  Signature: 19 September 2000   
			 
			 179 Additional Protocol to the European Agreement on the Transmission of Applications for Legal Aid 4 October 2001 1 September 2002 
			  Signature: 4 October 2001   
			 
			 181 Additional Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data, regarding supervisory authorities and transborder data flows 8 November 2001 1 July 2004 
			  Signature: 8 November 2001   
			 
			 182 Second Additional Protocol to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters 8 November 2001 1 February 2004 
			  Signature: 8 November 2001   
			 
			 185 Convention on Cybercrime 23 November 2001 1 July 2004 
			  Signature: 23 November 2001   
			 
			 190 Protocol amending the European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism 15 May 2003 — 
			  Signature: 15 May 2003   
			 
			 193 European Convention for the Protection of Animals during International Transport (Revised) 6 November 2003 14 March 2006 
			  Signature: 6 November 2003   
			 
			 196 Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism 16 May 2005 — 
			  Signature: 16 May 2005   
		
	
	An up-to-date summary can be found on the Council of Europe website at:
	http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/ListeTraites.asp?PO=UK&MA=999&SI=3&DF=&CM=3&CL=ENG.
	Ratification raises a number of issues, including the need to review domestic law and policy in relation to each Convention. In light of this, expected ratification dates cannot be provided.

Advertising Campaigns

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what advertising campaigns his Department has run since July 2004; and what the  (a) date and  (b) cost was of each.

Peter Hain: The Northern Ireland Office has run the following advertising campaigns since July 2004:
	
		
			  Campaign  Date  Cost (£) 
			 Are you a victim of the Troubles Campaign March 2005 43,762.00 
			 Theft from Vehicles Campaign 15 November to 31 December 2004 88,918.96 
			 Unknown Callers TV advertisement 6 to 28 June 2005 56,597.00 
			 Theft from Vehicles Campaign 13 to 26 June 2005 15,146.41 
			 Community Safety Week 20 to 24 June 2005 26,196.00 
			 Unknown Callers TV advertisement 13 October to 16 November 2005 58,338.29 
			 Theft from Vehicles Campaign 21 November 2005 to 1 January 2006 71,219.16 
			 Recruitment for Chairman and membership of the Parades Commission July 2005 37,873.88 
			 Recruitment for membership of the Parades Commission November 2006 16,902.51 
			 Domestic Violence media campaign(1) August 2006, January 2007 50,000.00 
			 Knife Carrying Campaign(1) May 2006, December 2006 58,000.00 
			 Total  522,954.21 
			 (1) The Northern Ireland Office jointly funded these two campaigns with DHSSPS and PSNI. The amounts shown are the NIO's contributions to the campaigns.

Mental Health

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the waiting list is for adolescent mental health beds in each health board area.

Paul Goggins: Mental Health in-patient services for adolescents are provided in only one trust in Northern Ireland, that being South and East Belfast HSS Trust. Information on the number of patients waiting for adolescent mental health in-patient treatment in South and East Belfast HSS Trust by Purchaser Health and Social Services Board is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Purchaser Health and Social Services Board  Provider trust  Number of patients waiting for adolescent mental health in-patient treatment 
			 Eastern South and East Belfast HSS Trust 4 
			 Northern South and East Belfast HSS Trust 2 
			 Southern South and East Belfast HSS Trust 0 
			 Western South and East Belfast HSS Trust 0 
			  Source:  South and East Belfast HSS Trust

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles there are in each road tax classification in the London borough of Bexley.

Stephen Ladyman: The following table contains the number of vehicles for each road tax classification as at 30 September 2006 registered in Bexley.
	
		
			  Taxation class  Category  Number 
			  Private   
			 TC11 Private 58,502 
			 TC36 Euro 4 light goods vehicles—private 249 
			 TC39 Light goods vehicles—Co2 private 5,554 
			 TC48 Petrol cars—Co2 private 34,810 
			 TC49 Diesel cars—Co2 private 8,557 
			 TC59 Alternative fuel cars—Co2 private 89 
			 TC10 Private HGV 73 
			 TC23 HGVCT (combined transport) 5 
			 TC53 HGVCT (combined transport reduced pollution) 1 
			
			  Motorcycles   
			 TC17 Bicycle 4,594 
			
			  Goods vehicles   
			 TC01 HGV 1,352 
			 TC45 HGV—reduced pollution 123 
			 TC02 Trailer HGV 12 
			 TC46 Trailer HGV—reduced pollution 2 
			
			  Public transport vehicles   
			 TC34 Bus 106 
			
			  Other licensed vehicles   
			 TC14 Special vehicles 132 
			 TC47 Recovery 57 
			 TC50 Tricycle 34 
			 TC55 General haulage 1 
			 TC56 General haulage—reduced pollution 1 
			 TC57 Special type 6 
			
			  Exempt categories—no licence   
			 TC60 Crown vehicles 4 
			 TC61 Not licensed 444 
			 TC65 Ambulance 7 
			 TC66 Fire engine 1 
			
			  Exempt categories—nil licence   
			 TC77 Limited use 1 
			 TC78 Disabled 2,884 
			 TC85 Disabled passenger carrying vehicle 87 
			 TC87 NHS vehicles 1 
			 TC88 Over 25 years 800 
			
			  Exempt categories: former special concessionary group  
			 TC37 Steam vehicles 1 
			 TC40 Agricultural machine 19 
			 TC44 Mowing machine 8 
			 TC79 Electric 10 
			 TC81 Gritting vehicle 13 
			
			  Total   118,540

Taxis: Children

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents involving taxis with children as passengers there have been in  (a) Scotland and  (b) Great Britain in the last 10 years.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of reported personal injury road accidents involving taxis with child (aged 0-15) passenger casualties in  (a) Scotland and  (b) Great Britain in the last 10 years is given as follows:
	
		
			  Number of accidents involving taxis with child (aged 0-15) passenger casualties: 1996-2005 
			   (a) Scotland  (b) Great Britain 
			 1996 15 99 
			 1997 7 82 
			 1998 17 85 
			 1999 11 102 
			 2000 10 117 
			 2001 11 82 
			 2002 10 68 
			 2003 17 76 
			 2004 9 67 
			 2005(1) 8 93 
			 (1) Includes private hire cars from 2005

Taxis: Children

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will break down the number of accidents involving taxis with children as passengers in the last 10 years in  (a) Scotland and  (b) Great Britain by the vehicle body type.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of reported personal injury road accidents involving taxis with child (aged 0-15) passenger casualties in  (a) Scotland and  (b) Great Britain in each of the last 10 years broken down by taxi body type is given as follows:
	
		
			   Estate  Saloon  Taxi( 1)  Unknown body type 
			  (a) Scotland 
			 1996 1 6 4 4 
			 1997 0 7 0 0 
			 1998 1 3 9 4 
			 1999 0 5 4 2 
			 2000 1 6 1 2 
			 2001 2 1 3 5 
			 2002 1 4 3 2 
			 2003 1 5 6 5 
			 2004 1 3 4 1 
			 2005 0 5 3 0 
			  
			  (b) Great Britain 
			 1996 2 40 32 25 
			 1997 3 35 31 13 
			 1998 6 31 35 13 
			 1999 8 47 30 17 
			 2000 11 56 31 19 
			 2001 12 31 26 13 
			 2002 9 22 30 7 
			 2003 10 26 23 17 
			 2004 9 30 15 13 
			 2005 16 37 20 20 
			 (1 )Purpose built taxi

Boarding School Allowance

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in respect of how many children  (a) Army,  (b) Air Force and  (c) Royal Navy personnel received boarding school allowance in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what the percentage change was in each year.

Derek Twigg: The number of children benefiting from continuity of education allowance are only available for the last three years. This is due to the ongoing work to transfer data from legacy administrative systems to Joint Personnel Administration.
	
		
			  Spring term   Service children benefiting from CEA  Percentage change from previous year 
			 2004 Royal Navy 1,377 n/a 
			  Army 4,280 n/a 
			  Royal Air Force 2,372 n/a 
			  Total 8,029 n/a 
			 
			 2005 Royal Navy 1,377 0 
			  Army 4,289 +0.22 
			  Royal Air Force 2,220 -6.85 
			 
			  Total 7,886 -1.8 
			 
			 2006 Royal Navy 1,410 +2.41 
			  Army 4,092 -4.82 
			  Royal Air Force 2,113 -5.11 
			  Total 7,615 -3.56 
			 n/a = Not available

Departmental IT

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many attempts to gain unauthorised access to his Department's computer systems have  (a) been detected and  (b) succeeded in each of the last five years.

Adam Ingram: External access from the internet to the Ministry of Defence's internal computer systems is channelled through a number of gateways. These gateways register constant external activity, including port scanning and the use of automated probes. Most of this activity is not identifiably targeting our networks; nor is it necessarily malicious. We focus on those attacks which have penetrated our gateways and have triggered incident response actions designed to limit any damage and reduce the risk of a recurrence.
	There have been nine confirmed incidents of penetration of the Department's internal computer systems over the last five years. Details by year are given on the following table:
	
		
			   Number of incidents reported 
			 2002 1 
			 2003 2 
			 2004 1 
			 2005 0 
			 2006 5 
			 2007 (1)0 
			 (1) As at 31 January 2007.

Met Office

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the annual budget of the Meteorological Office was in each year since 1977; and what budget has been allocated to the office for each of the next five years.

Adam Ingram: The annual revenue of the Met Office since 1977 is contained in the following tables. Prior to 1996, the cost of the Met Office was borne on the Defence Vote to which all receipts from non-MOD customers were also credited. Following the Met Office commencing operation as a Trading Fund in 1996, funding received from the MOD is included within turnover.
	It is important that MOD regularly reviews its spending plans, balances relative priorities and drives efficiency in public spending. Ministerial decisions on the forward Defence programme will be taken in the first quarter of 2007, and appropriate announcements on the outcome of the planning round will be made in that time frame.
	
		
			  Financial year  Turnover (£) 
			 2005-06 170,361,000 
			 2004-05 165,580,000 
			 2003-04 160,775,000 
			 2002-03 157,398,000 
			 2001-02 154,759,000 
			 2000-01 154,413,000 
			 1999-2000 151,013,000 
			 1998-99 152,875,000 
			 1997-98 154,784,000 
			 1996-97 151,987,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Financial year  Receipts( 1)  (£)  Net expenditure( 2)  (£) 
			 1995-96 59,700 104,300,000 
			 1994-95 57,000 91,400,000 
			 1993-94 54,900 97,500,000 
			 1992-93 50,200 91,800,000 
			 1991-92 44,200 77,800,000 
			 1990-91 39,300 70,900,000 
			 1989-90 32,700 72,800,000 
			 1988-89 28,700 62,518,000 
			 1987-88 25,802 58,335,000 
			 1986-87 23,608 57,221,000 
			 1985-86 21,755 51,903,000 
			 1984-85 20,918 47,497,000 
			 1983-84 18,929 44,092,000 
			 1982-83 17,420 38,264,000 
			 1981-82 16,680 35,629,000 
			 1980-81 15,762 34,715,000 
			 1979-80 12,897 27,086,000 
			 1978-79 11,287 25,330,000 
			 1977-78 8,747 20,017,000 
			 1976-77 8,400 19,900,000 
			 (1) Receipts from non-MOD customers. (2) Net expenditure represents the cost of the Met Office borne by the Defence Vote (after deducting receipts from non-MOD customers).

Police

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the strength was of each police force in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: Over the last 10 years the overall police strength within England and Wales has increased by approximately 10.4 per cent. The available data are given in the table.
	
		
			  Police officer strength( 1)  (FTE)( 2)  by police force as at 31 March 1997 to 31 March 2006 
			   As at 31 March each year: 
			  Police force  1997( 3)  1998  1999  2000  2001( 4)  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,989 2,976 2,999 2,934 2,994 3,096 3,149 3,401 3,384 3,389 
			 Bedfordshire 1,094 1,079 1,041 1,028 1,036 1,069 1,106 1,181 1,215 1,198 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,302 1,291 1,274 1,237 1,296 1,362 1,384 1,400 1,402 1,430 
			 Cheshire 2,046 2,042 2,071 2,011 2,002 2,059 2,119 2,177 2,186 2,174 
			 Cleveland 1,459 1,483 1,416 1,404 1,407 1,461 1,582 1,687 1,676 1,677 
			 Cumbria 1,144 1,164 1,126 1,084 1,048 1,100 1,140 1,222 1,232 1,230 
			 Derbyshire 1,791 1,772 1,759 1,777 1,823 1,848 2,003 2,070 2,070 2,046 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,865 2,962 2,887 2,841 2,934 3,053 3,202 3,283 3,369 3,493 
			 Dorset 1,284 1,310 1,279 1,306 1,354 1,381 1,416 1,433 1,450 1,485 
			 Durham 1,461 1,515 1,568 1,558 1,595 1,614 1,651 1,685 1,718 1,699 
			 Essex 2,961 2,928 2,891 2,806 2,897 2,946 2,989 3,098 3,190 3,279 
			 Gloucestershire 1,133 1,104 1,104 1,114 1,173 1,183 1,227 1,284 1,291 1,289 
			 Greater Manchester 6,922 6,949 6,810 6,795 6,909 7,217 7,343 8,042 8,041 7,959 
			 Hampshire 3,452 3,490 3,473 3,419 3,438 3,480 3,668 3,706 3,725 3,707 
			 Hertfordshire 1,759 1,740 1,724 1,767 1,922 1,825 1,957 2,086 2,104 2,126 
			 Humberside 2,045 2,021 1,974 1,932 1,917 2,058 2,105 2,213 2,230 2,224 
			 Kent 3,260 3,251 3,201 3,204 3,319 3,355 3,487 3,576 3,586 3,599 
			 Lancashire 3,248 3,257 3,245 3,179 3,255 3,304 3,339 3,550 3,551 3,583 
			 Leicestershire 1,949 1,983 1,993 1,993 2,032 2,100 2,114 2,277 2,283 2,250 
			 Lincolnshire 1,196 1,191 1,140 1,115 1,202 1,198 1,221 1,228 1,221 1,213 
			 London, City of 859 825 778 732 703 764 808 853 876 869 
			 Merseyside 4,230 4,216 4,211 4,085 4,081 4,125 4,099 4,122 4,317 4,269 
			 Metropolitan Police 26,677 26,094 26.073 25,485 24,878 26,223 27,984 29,735 30,710 30,536 
			 Norfolk 1,432 1,430 1,381 1,381 1,420 1,468 1,499 1,510 1,544 1,557 
			 Northamptonshire 1,177 1,169 1,137 1,117 1,157 1,214 1,210 1,239 1,267 1,317 
			 Northumbria 3,677 3,769 3,840 3,788 3,857 3,929 3,943 4,040 4,048 3,983 
			 North Yorkshire 1,338 1,367 1,337 1,283 1,305 1,417 1,444 1,529 1,543 1,636 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,323 2,323 2,225 2,204 2,275 2,330 2,411 2,484 2,502 2,477 
			 South Yorkshire 3,159 3,182 3,168 3,163 3,197 3,199 3,183 3,279 3,265 3,255 
			 Staffordshire 2,211 2,292 2,238 2,170 2,129 2,133 2,202 2,266 2,280 2,272 
			 Suffolk 1,174 1,186 1,190 1,145 1,133 1,203 1,253 1,304 1,313 1,300 
			 Surrey 1,620 1,608 1,662 1,785 2,066 1,992 1,906 1,913 1,915 1,922 
			 Sussex 3,085 2,996 2,847 2,822 2,855 2,893 2,989 3,039 3,044 3,092 
			 Thames Valley 3,695 3,776 3,748 3,740 3,703 3,762 3,833 4,034 4,114 4,229 
			 Warwickshire 926 924 908 900 926 969 997 1,008 1,011 1,032 
			 West Mercia 2,040 2,010 2,025 1,887 1,951 2,018 2,256 2,355 2,367 2,351 
			 West Midlands 7,113 7,156 7,321 7,194 7,423 7,681 7,751 7,887 8,056 8,097 
			 West Yorkshire 5,209 5,155 4,982 4,822 4,815 4,889 5,029 5,275 5,631 5,644 
			 Wiltshire 1,154 1,156 1,151 1,118 1,120 1,157 1,158 1,217 1,222 1,219 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,005 1,002 1,026 1,040 1,055 1,132 1,149 1,160 1,174 1,182 
			 Gwent 1,243 1,233 1,247 1,264 1,274 1,333 1,341 1,372 1,438 1,467 
			 North Wales 1,369 1,396 1,391 1,403 1,444 1,506 1,539 1,603 1,652 1,617 
			 South Wales 2,976 2,986 2,981 2,926 3,154 3,222 3,239 3,279 3,281 3,263 
			 Total England and Wales 125,051 124,756 123,841 121,956 123,476 127,267 131,426 137,105 139,495 139,633 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Full-time equivalent excludes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (3) Boundary changes on 1 April 1996 transferred resources for the policing of the Rhmney Valley from South Wales police to Gwent police. (4 )Boundary changes on 1 April 2000 transferred some resources from the Metropolitan police to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey police forces.

Casinos

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications for  (a) new casinos and  (b) alternations to existing casinos have been submitted under the Gambling Act 1968 between 2004-05 and the latest date for which figures are available.

Richard Caborn: The Gambling Commission considers applications for certificates of consent for new casinos, or for significant alterations to, or relocations of, existing casinos. Once a certificate of consent is issued, operators can then apply to the licensing magistrates for a casino licence. There is no guarantee that the grant of a certificate of consent will result in a casino licence being granted.
	The following table sets out the number of applications for certificates of consent that the Gambling Commission (and its predecessor body the Gaming Board for Great Britain) has received during the period requested.
	
		
			  Financial year  Certificate of consent applications for new casinos  Certificate of consent applications for alterations or relocation 
			 2004-05 23 6 
			 2005-06 56 9 
			 2006-07 (to date) 40 19

Casinos

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the percentage of electricity used by the new super casino which will be generated from  (a) renewable sources and  (b) on-site-micro-regeneration facilities.

Richard Caborn: No such estimate has been made.

Cultural Heritage: Grants

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public money was paid to  (a) English Heritage,  (b) the Arts Council and  (c) the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council in each year since 1997, broken down into grant-in-aid and lottery funding.

David Lammy: Details of DCMS grant in aid and direct lottery funding are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £000 
			   English Heritage grant in aid( 1)  Arts Council England lottery income( 2)  Arts Council England grant in aid( 1)  Museums, Libraries and Archives Council( 2) 
			 1997-98 105,183 298,000 187,600 9,521 
			 1998-99 102,404 235,000 190,950 9,620 
			 1999-2000 112,609 201,000 229,226 16,614 
			 2000-01 119,000 202,000 238,179 16,208 
			 2001-02 110,401 208,000 252,455 20,675 
			 2002-03 116,387 178,000 290,405 21,868 
			 2003-04 119,442 161,000 325,955 25,816 
			 2004-05 127,901 169,000 369,859 34,458 
			 2005-06 129,136 172,000 409,178 44,174 
			 (1) All figures obtained from Annual Appropriation Accounts and Resource Accounts.  (2) Figures rounded to the nearest £ million. 
		
	
	The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council was established on 30 November 1999 to replace the Museums and Galleries Commission and the Libraries and Information Commission. Shortly after its establishment it was renamed Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries before reverting to its original title in January 2004. The table gives figures for these organisations under the name Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.

Digital Dividend

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department has consulted industry representatives on the time period between publication of the final proposals for the Digital Dividend Review and its implementation.

Shaun Woodward: The Department has not consulted with industry representatives on proposals for the Digital Dividend Review.
	Ofcom published the consultation document for this project on the 19 December 2006. The consultation ends 20 March 2007.

Digital Television

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of households which will qualify for assistance in switching over to digital television in London, broken down by borough.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is as follows.
	
		
			  Constituency  Households (defined as eligible benefit units) 
			 Barking 9,000 
			 Battersea 6,000 
			 Beckenham 10,000 
			 Bethnal Green and Bow 10,000 
			 Bexleyheath and Crayford 9,000 
			 Brent East 7,000 
			 Brent North 8,000 
			 Brent South 7,000 
			 Brentford and Isleworth 10,000 
			 Bromley and Chislehurst 10,000 
			 Camberwell and Peckham 8,000 
			 Carshalton and Wellington 9,000 
			 Chingford and Woodford Green 9,000 
			 Chipping Barnet 10,000 
			 Cities of London and Westminster 8,000 
			 Croydon Central 11,000 
			 Croydon North 10,000 
			 Croydon South 11,000 
			 Dagenham 11,000 
			 Dulwich and West Norwood 9,000 
			 Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush 10,000 
			 Ealing North 9,000 
			 Ealing Southall 11,000 
			 East Ham 10,000 
			 Edmonton 9,000 
			 Eltham 9,000 
			 Enfield North 9,000 
			 Enfield Southgate 10,000 
			 Erith and Thamesmead 9,000 
			 Feltham and Heston 10,000 
			 Finchley and Golders Green 11,000 
			 Greenwich and Woolwich 10,000 
			 Hackney North and Stoke Newington 8,000 
			 Hackney South and Shoreditch 9,000 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 10,000 
			 Hampstead and Highgate 10,000 
			 Harrow East 12,000 
			 Harrow West 9,000 
			 Hayes and Harlington 8,000 
			 Hendon 10,000 
			 Holborn and St Pancras 9,000 
			 Hornchurch 9,000 
			 Hornsey and Wood Green 10,000 
			 Ilford North 10,000 
			 Ilford South 10,000 
			 Islington North 9,000 
			 Islington South and Finsbury 9,000 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 8,000 
			 Kingston and Surbiton 9,000 
			 Lewisham and Deptford 6,000 
			 Lewisham East 8,000 
			 Lewisham West 8,000 
			 Leyton and Wanstead 7,000 
			 Mitcham and Morden 8,000 
			 North Southwark and Bermondsey 10,000 
			 Old Bexley and Sidcup 10,000 
			 Orpington 11,000 
			 Poplar and Canning Town 11,000 
			 Putney 8,000 
			 Regent's Park and Kensington North 13,000 
			 Richmond Park 10,000 
			 Romford 9,000 
			 Ruislip-Northwood 8,000 
			 Streatham 8,000 
			 Sutton and Cheam 10,000 
			 Tooting 8,000 
			 Tottenham 10,000 
			 Twickenham 8,000 
			 Upminster 10,000 
			 Uxbridge 8,000 
			 Vauxhall 9,000 
			 Walthamstow 9,000 
			 West Ham 8,000 
			 Wimbledon 8,000 
			 Greater London 680,000 
			  Notes: 1. Rounded to the nearest thousand. 2. Eligibility for help from the Digital Switchover Help Scheme will be by benefit unit rather than the whole household definition used by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Office to forecast future household growth. 3. The definition of a benefit unit is a couple and any dependent children. It excludes adults deemed to be non-dependents who, if eligible, will be able to claim assistance from the Help Scheme in their own right.

London Olympics

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she first became aware that the inclusion of VAT would affect the Olympic budget.

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she was first informed that the inclusion of VAT would affect the Olympic budget; by whom she was so informed; and on what date this occurred.

Tessa Jowell: The basis on which VAT was dealt with in the Candidature File prepared in 2004, and the action I took to initiate a review of costs and funding following the success of the bid in autumn 2005, was set out in my response to the Member for Faversham and Mid-Kent (Hugh Robertson) on 6 November 2006,  Official Report, column 565W and in my evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on 21 November 2006. This is summarised in paragraphs 48 to 50 of the Committee's report published on 24 January.
	The Government are considering tax costs as part of its wider consideration of the overall Olympic budget and I will let the House have further information in due course.

London Olympics

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her answer of 23 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 1621-22W, on the Olympic Games, if she will break down the £400 million funding for the delivery partner into  (a) fees for CLM,  (b) accommodation,  (c) site mobilisation,  (d) Olympic Delivery Authority staff costs and  (e) other costs.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 26 January 2007
	As the hon. Member will be aware I gave an undertaking to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on 21 November 2006, that I would report to them on a time scale that matches the work on reviewing costs that we have under way. He will also be aware that the Select Committee's report published on 24 January 2007 (HC 69-1) is also seeking this information. For these reasons I will address this question in my formal response to the Select Committee in due course.

London Olympics

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what advice PricewaterhouseCoopers provided on the costs of security and policing in their Olympics Cost Review in 2004.

Tessa Jowell: PricewaterhouseCoopers suggested, a figure of £160 million (equivalent to £190 million at outturn prices), excluding the costs of security within the venues. However, they advised that there was considerable uncertainty about the security costs. Their advice was previously received before the terrorist attacks in London on 7 July 2005.

London Olympics

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether a steering group was set up to consider the advice provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers on Olympic costs in 2004.

Tessa Jowell: Yes. The Department set up and chaired the "Budget and Revenues Sub-Group", its membership included London 2012, the British Olympic Association, HM Treasury, Government office for London, the Greater London Authority and the London Development Agency.

Television Licences

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has made an assessment of the  (a) merits of and  (b) effect on public finances of TV Licence payments being made via PayPoint.

Shaun Woodward: No. Last year's decision to award the contract for over the counter TV licence sales to PayPoint was a commercial matter for the BBC as television licensing authority. The BBC has indicated that it expects to save in excess of £100 million over the term of the contract.

Compensation

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs who the members of the Minsiterial Steering Group on Compensation Culture are.

Vera Baird: The members of the Ministerial Steering Group on Compensation Culture are the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs (Chair); Minister of State for Health; Economic Secretary to the Treasury; the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Cabinet Office; the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government; the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport; the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Skills; the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Compensation

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what action her Department is taking  (a) to improve the system for those with a valid claim for compensation and  (b) to find ways to discourage and resist fraudulent claims.

Vera Baird: The Government have been considering ways to improve the claims process for personal injury claims and intends to publish a consultation paper in the near future.
	The Department is introducing the regulation of claims management services under the Compensation Act. This will tackle certain practices carried out by some previously unregulated claims farmers, such as encouraging and bringing bad claims. We are also working with stakeholders to encourage organisations to resist bad claims.

Courts: Nottingham

Graham Allen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the reasons for the delay in establishing courts in the community in Nottingham; and what steps she is taking to end this delay.

Vera Baird: Following public consultation, Community Justice court sittings dealing with cases from the Aspley and St. Ann's areas of Nottingham will commence in the city's magistrates court in May. Court sittings for one of these areas will then be held within a community building as soon as suitable accommodation can be found.
	Work is ongoing in the community to find the right building where the court use is compatible with any other current community uses, so that the community will welcome the court.
	As the Government said in the paper, "Delivering Simple, Summary, Speedy Justice", published in July 2006, they also want to pilot alternative court provision within the community and the Nottingham Community Justice Initiative will engage with the local community and work in partnership with the range of criminal justice agencies, support services and community groups to solve the problems caused by offending in the local area. It is therefore right that we proceed with what is principally an approach, rather than a building until both can be combined.

Courts: Nottingham

Graham Allen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what criteria her Department has set for determining whether premises are acceptable to serve as community courts; and what assessment she has made of the availability of suitable premises in Nottingham.

Vera Baird: Representatives of the Nottinghamshire Local Criminal Justice Board have visited a number of buildings put forward by the Nottingham city council to assess their suitability for use as a criminal court. That assessment was intended to enable the board, to decide whether the building could, with or without modification, meet minimum requirements. These include minimum health and safety standards to ensure the safety and security of court users, judiciary and other visitors to the building; compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act; and separate rooms to enable solicitors to take instructions from their clients.
	In addition to this, each of these buildings is used by many other organisations including crèches, youth groups and as meeting places for older people. The board therefore recognises that even after identifying a building which has some potential for use as a court, the community users must be engaged in discussion before any final decision is made. If this involves alteration of the building, such alterations must be carried out in a way which does not adversely affect the other uses of these amenities.
	Accordingly, the board is making careful assessments of all the premises identified for consideration and being sensitive to the needs of existing users. It is committed to finding a suitable community building for these sittings as soon as possible and will work with the city council to achieve this. In the meantime, these cases will commence being heard at the magistrates court in May.

Electoral Register

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that people living in houses of multiple occupation receive information on being included on the electoral register.

Bridget Prentice: Section 9 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 placed a new duty on Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to take all necessary steps to maintain the electoral register, which includes:
	(a) sending more than once to any address the form to be used for the canvass;
	(b) making on one or more occasions house to house inquiries;
	(c) making contact by other such means as the registration officers thinks appropriate with persons who do not have an entry in the register;
	(d) inspecting any records held by any person which the registration officer is permitted to inspect; and
	(e) providing training to persons under his direction or control of registration officer in connection with carrying out of the duty.
	It is for the EROs to decide on the best steps to use in conjunction with their local knowledge, when making contact with persons in houses of multiple occupation.

Freedom of Information: Fees and charges

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the legal basis is for applying a standard research fee to Freedom of Information applications for census records.

Vera Baird: The National Archives' research fees are prescribed by the Lord Chancellor in concurrence with the Treasury and contained in a statutory instrument. This is in accordance with section 2(5) of the Public Record Act 1958 and with section 9(5) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which permits organisations to use alternative statutory fees setting regimes.
	The National Archives' standard research fee of £15 per quarter hour was last approved by Parliament in March 2005 and the search fee for Freedom of Information applications for information from a 1911 census return is in line with this. Census material from 1841 to 1901 can be accessed online.

Public Information

Mark Todd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's response to the Office of Fair Trading's report The commercial use of public information.

Hilary Armstrong: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. McCartney), on 8 January 2007,  Official Report, column 315W.

Public Records Act

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has for the renewal of the Public Records Act 1958 Instrument of Extended Retention No. 38 of July 1996 as it refers to RG 15 and RG 16.

Vera Baird: Instrument No. 38, Retention of Public Records dated 23 July 1996 retained RG15 and RG16 to 31 December 2006. Instrument No. 81 Retention of Public Records dated 12 January 2006 now retains RG15 and RG16 for a further 10 years.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what level of alcohol dependence was identified in each region of England in the alcohol needs assessment report; and what estimate she has made of the number of people who are alcohol-dependent in each region.

Caroline Flint: The alcohol needs assessment research project (ANARP) report provided the following information. This is the best available estimate of alcohol-dependent people by region.
	
		
			  Epidemiological profile of alcohol use disorders in England (psychiatric morbidity survey): dependence (audit 16-40) 
			  Region  Percentage of adult population 
			 North East 5.2 
			 North West 3.4 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 5.2 
			 East Midlands 1.6 
			 West Midlands 3.8 
			 East of England 2.8 
			 London 4.5 
			 South East 3.6 
			 South West 3.1 
			 All 3.6 
		
	
	
		
			  Estimate of the actual number of dependent drinkers per region 
			  Region  Estimated numbers 
			 North East 83,356 
			 North West 145,054 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 163,889 
			 East Midlands 42,656 
			 West Midlands 126,658 
			 East of England 95,808 
			 London 217,429 
			 South East 183,611 
			 South West 95,257 
			 Total for England 1,132,074

Data Sets

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether general practitioners and hospital computer systems share a common address base for their patients.

Caroline Flint: National health service patient address and other demographic information has historically been compiled in individual local records held by general practitioners and hospitals. Information, including changes of address, is sometimes shared in the course of referrals, but data held by one NHS body may not always reflect changes notified to another.
	Over time, a single authoritative source of patient demographic data, known as the personal demographics service (PDS), will be used by all general practitioners and hospital computer systems in England. Access to the PDS will reduce clinical risks arising from a failure to match patients with their clinical record, and help minimise cases of correspondence and documents being misdirected. Early evidence from one trust has shown a six-fold reduction in misdirected mail addressed using PDS-held data.
	The PDS, which first went live in June 2004, already contains information for all the patients within England, and is currently accessible across the NHS, with over 310,000 users, and receives over 26 million inquiries per month. The volumes are growing over time, with increasing patient benefits and efficiency improvements.
	There will be no physical or electronic links between the PDS other non-NHS databases, and other Government departments and public agencies will not be able to access the data it contains.

Dental Services: Leeds

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what funding she plans for the provision of NHS dental care in Leeds in each of the next three years;
	(2)  what plans she has to improve access to NHS dentistry in Leeds;
	(3)  how many people are registered with an NHS dentist in  (a) the city of Leeds and  (b) West Yorkshire.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 1 February 2007
	The 2007-08 primary care dental care allocations for primary care trusts (PCTs), including Leeds PCT, will be confirmed shortly. Allocations for subsequent years will be decided later in the light of the results of the 2007 comprehensive spending review.
	Registration data no longer form part of the new dental contract information. However, the new measure is patients seen within the last 24 months. The information relating to the NHS Yorkshire and the Humber strategic health authority together with the former PCTs in the Leeds area can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  Patients seen in the two years ending 30 September 2006 in the specified strategic health authorities (SHA) and PCTs 
			   Number 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber SHA 2,968,212 
			   
			  Of which:  
			 East Leeds PCT 92,204 
			 Leeds North East PCT 68,159 
			 Leeds North West PCT 90,169 
			 Leeds West PCT 70,967 
			 South Leeds PCT 90,481 
			  Note: Information includes orthodontic activity.  Sources: 1. The Information Centre for health and social care. 2. NHS Business Services Authority. 
		
	
	Over the past year the PCT has commissioned additional dental services to fully replace services provided by the small proportion of dentists who chose not to take up new dental contracts on 1 April 2006. In addition, the PCT is also looking at plans to continue to improve access in areas of greatest oral health need and areas where general access is a problem such as North West Leeds. To help facilitate this the PCT has identified almost £1 million of capital funding.

Foreign National Doctors

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of employing foreign national doctors in the NHS on short term, temporary contracts in each of the last two years.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.

Health Visitors

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the  (a) value for money provided by and  (b) effectiveness of (i) health visitors and (ii) community nurses;
	(2)  which primary care trusts have made arrangements for community service nursing in their area to be provided by a  (a) private company and  (b) social enterprise.

Rosie Winterton: No assessment has been carried out centrally, of the value for money or effectiveness of health visitors or community nurses. It is the business of national health service trusts to make these assessments, to inform themselves that they are using their resources effectively to meet local needs and priorities.
	We are aware that Central Surrey Health, a social enterprise, has been contracted by Surrey Primary Care Trust, to provide community nursing services.

Healthcare-related Infections

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of  (a) MRSA and  (b) Clostridium difficile were reported in each quarter of each of the last five years, broken down by NHS trust; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The requested information is not available but information for six and 12 month periods for the last five years for meticillin resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is available on the Health Protection Agency (HPA) website at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/mandatory_report_2006.htm
	Since April 2001, all acute national health service trusts in England are obliged to report all cases of MRSA bloodstream infections. Data for each trust for each six month and for each twelve 12 period from April 2001 to March 2006 have been published.
	Mandatory surveillance for  Clostridium difficile ( C. difficile) associated infection was introduced in January 2004. All acute NHS trusts in England are obliged to report all cases of  C. difficile associated infection in patients 65 years and over. Data for each trust for each of the two calendar years 2004 and 2005 are available on the HPA website at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/mandatory_report_2006.htm
	Voluntary reporting of  C. difficile positive stool samples was introduced in 1990, and data are available at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/clostridium_difficile/c_diff_voluntary_surveillance_data.htm
	Quarterly reporting for the mandatory surveillance of both of these infections will be introduced this year.

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cash equivalent transfer value is of the public sector pensions of the 10 highest paid members of staff in her Department and its executive agencies; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The pay and pension details of the 10 highest paid staff in the Department and its executive agencies are disclosed in the remuneration report that forms part of the Department's resource accounts. This can be found on the Department of Health's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4140951&chk=mEgrNU
	There are two staff members who do not appear on the remuneration report because at the time of publication, on 31 March 2006, they were not members of the senior management team. They therefore had not given permission for their pension information to be disclosed. Copies have been placed in the Library.

Prescriptions

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many free prescriptions have been issued to individuals in Derby city since 2005.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not available in the format required.
	Data for the number of prescription items dispensed by exemption category in the Derby City primary care trust (PCT) area are shown in the table.
	
		
			   Total number of exempt prescription items 
			 2005(1) 2,800,000 
			 2006(2) (January to October) 2,400,000 
			 (1) The 2005 data are the combined totals from Central Derby PCT and Greater Derby PCT.  (2) The data available for 2006 are for January to October only. The totals for January to September for Central Derby PCT and Greater Derby PCT have been combined with the October total for Derby City PCT (5N7) to give the 2006 value.   Notes:  Derby City PCT was formed in October 2006 from Central Derby PCT and Greater Derby PCT. Due to rounding, the sum of the components may not equal the totals. Children are defined as 0 to 15-year-olds, and as 16 to 18-year-olds in full-time education.  PCA Data Prescription information is taken from the Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system, supplied by the Prescription Pricing Division (PPD) of the Business Services Authority (BSA), and is based on a full analysis of all prescriptions dispensed in the community i.e. by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. Also included are prescriptions written in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man but dispensed in England. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals, including mental health trusts, or private prescriptions.  Prescription Items Prescriptions are written on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item.  Exemption Category Estimates The exemption data are identified from the box ticked on the back of the prescription form and rely on the form being completed correctly which may not always be the case. Information for categories that are not required to pay a charge (e.g. children) is based on a one in 20 sample of all exempt prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors. The information we have is therefore an estimate and subject to sampling errors. To reflect this we have rounded the exemption figures appropriately—figures less than 1,000 are shown as " * "; figures between 1,000 and 100,000 have been rounded to the nearest 1,000; figures between 100,000 and one million have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 and figures between one million and 10 million have been rounded to the nearest 100,000. Data for total of all ages have not been rounded since they are not exemption data.

Primary Care Trusts

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers the Government have to ensure that strategic health authorities are adequately monitoring performance primary care trusts in their implementation of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines.

Caroline Flint: Strategic health authorities (SHAs) performance manage primary care trusts (PCTs) in the exercise of their functions on behalf of the Secretary of State.
	The Secretary of State has the power to give directions to SHAs about their exercise of any functions under section 17 of the National Health Service Act 1977. SHAs are obliged to comply with any such Directions. If one or more SHAs were not carrying out their performance management functions adequately, then it would be open to the Secretary of State to direct those SHAs to act to ensure those functions were carried out adequately.
	In exceptional circumstances, the Secretary of State also has a power under section 84A of the National Health Service Act 1977 to make an intervention order in respect of an NHS body (including SHA) if she is of the opinion that it is not performing one or more of its functions adequately or at all, or that there are significant failings in the way the body is being run and she is satisfied that it is appropriate for her to intervene.
	Equally, the Secretary of State has powers under section 85 of the National Health Service Act 1977 to make an order declaring an NHS body, such as a SHA, to be in default if, in her opinion, it has failed to carry out any functions conferred on it under the Act or under any regulations or directions.

Social Enterprise Pathfinders

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what questions were asked of applications for social enterprise pathfinder programmes  (a) pre and  (b) post application.

Ivan Lewis: Upon inquiry, the Department sent potential social enterprise pathfinders an application form and covering letter, copies of which have been placed in the Library. After the completed application was received by the Department, no further questions were asked, by the Department.

Teenage Pregnancy: North East Region

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rate of teenage pregnancy in  (a) Gateshead East and Washington West and  (b) Tyne and Wear constituencies was in each year since 1997.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 5 February 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the teenage pregnancy rate in (a) Gateshead East and Washington West and (b) Tyne and Wear constituencies was in each year since 1997. (118532)
	Information on teenage conceptions is routinely published for local authorities and strategic health authorities. Figures cannot be provided by Parliamentary Constituency because of the risk of disclosing individual's information, due to small differences in boundaries between the Parliamentary Constituency and the local authority.
	Figures are provided for Gateshead Metropolitan County District (MCD) and Sunderland MCD because they are both part of Gateshead East and Washington West constituency and similarly, figures are provided for Tyne and Wear Metropolitan County for Tyne and Wear constituency.
	
		
			  Teenage conceptions: numbers( 1)  and rates( 2)  for Tyne and Wear (metropolitan county), Gateshead MCD and Sunderland MCD, 1997-2004 (the latest year available) 
			   Tyne and Wear metropolitan county  Gateshead MCD  Sunderland MCD 
			   Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate 
			 1997 1,287 62.3 202 56.4 369 65.1 
			 1998 1,203 59.0 199 57.1 357 63.1 
			 1999 1,165 57.3 182 50.7 357 63.6 
			 2000 1,121 55.1 202 56.8 290 51.0 
			 2001 1,072 52-0 152 42.3 295 51.5 
			 2002 1,128 53.7 158 44.3 320 54.9 
			 2003 1,176 55.6 175 48.6 364 62.8 
			 2004 1,088 51.8 159 44.5 294 51.7 
			 (1) Number of conceptions are estimated from registration of live or stillbirths and notifications of legal abortions to girls aged under 18. They do not include miscarriages or illegal abortions. (2) Rate per 1,000 women aged 15-17.

Bankruptcy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases for agreement of  (a) individual voluntary arrangements and  (b) compulsory voluntary arrangements following bankruptcy orders have been heard (i) in England, (ii) the south east and (iii) under the jurisdiction of the Brighton Office of the Insolvency Service in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) and company voluntary arrangement (CVAs) for England and Wales in 2006 can be found in the following table. This information is not available at a sub-national level.
	
		
			   IVAs  CVAs 
			 2002 6,295 651 
			 2003 7,583 726 
			 2004 10,752 597 
			 2005 20,293 604 
			 2006 44,332 534

Biofuels

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria will be applicable to the award of financial grants to companies from the successor to the Bio-energy Capital Grant Scheme.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	The third round of the Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme, funded by DEFRA, was launched on 29 December 2006 with a 10 week application window. The aim of the Scheme is to support the installation of biomass-fuelled heat and combined heat and power projects in the industrial, commercial and community sectors. The maximum grant available is 40 per cent. of the additional cost of the installation compared to a fossil-fuelled alternative. This is subject to a minimum grant payment of £25,000 and a maximum of £1 million.
	The Scheme is competitive and each application will be assessed in terms of:
	(i) its contribution to the aims of the Scheme
	(ii) the technical credibility of the proposal
	(iii) the credibility of the applicants to deliver the project
	(iv) the ability to evaluate and measure the performance of the project
	(v) financial viability and overall value for money.

Departmental Offices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what area of office space his Department and its agencies used in central London in  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The DTI and its agencies occupied the following office space in Central London;
	92,835 square metres in 2004
	68,582 square metres in 2006

Departmental Websites

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost was of maintaining his Department's websites in 2005-06; and how many visits each website received during this period.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department's websites are maintained by an external ICT supplier as part of an outsourcing arrangement. The cost of website maintenance is included within the overall charges of the outsourcing contract and is not delineated within the terms of the contract.
	The total number of visits the department's websites received during 2005-06 was 10,236,235. The total visits are recorded on entry via the DTI homepage and not at individual site level and therefore detailed information is not available.

Glazteknology Ltd

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had on redundancy payments for workers of Glazteknology Ltd.; and what his timetable is for making a decision on the matter.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 2 February 2007
	Glazteknology Ltd. is in administration, which is a legal form of insolvency. In such situations payments of certain debts, including redundancy payments, can be claimed from the National Insurance Fund. The Insolvency Service's Edinburgh Redundancy Payments Office is liaising with the Administrator to establish what payments are due. Once the information is obtained to identify what payments are due they will be made without delay.

Manufacturing Industry

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of trends in the manufacturing industry sector in Northamptonshire over the last 10 years.

Margaret Hodge: Employment studies over this period show a decline in manufacturing as a result of structural changes in the Northamptonshire and the wider UK economy. Manufacturing in Northamptonshire still represents a higher proportion of the work force than the UK average (15.9 per cent. compared to 11.2 per cent.).
	The structural changes in the Northamptonshire economy resulted in an additional 41,487 jobs since 1998, the main growth sectors being business services and jobs in education. This growth has led to unemployment levels falling from 3.7 per cent. in 1996 to 1.9 per cent. in 2006.
	The GVA (Gross Value Added) also increased by 72 per cent. between 1995 to 2004 in Northamptonshire and is above the national average at £18,298 per head (UK average £17,700).
	Manufacturing will continue to play an important part in the county's economy with the presence of award winning companies such as Timsons, Veux, Arcotronics, Krohne, Weetabix and Cummins.
	Northamptonshire is also becoming a market leader in high performance engineering around the motor sport industry and Government through the East Midlands Development Agency has recently supported this growth through the development of the 30,000sq.ft Silverstone innovation centre.

Minimum Wage

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government have  (a) undertaken and  (b) asked the Low Pay Commission to undertake research into the possible effect on youth unemployment of an equalisation of the minimum wage for those aged 18 to 21 years with that for those aged over 21 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government considered the position of 18 to 21-year-olds and undertook a range of analysis on the state of the labour market prior to the implementation of the equal treatment directive, which retained the current age bands. Data shows that young workers experience substantially worse unemployment and employment rates than adults.
	The Low Pay Commission also conducts regular research on all aspects of the minimum wage. It supported the retention of the age bands, and in its 2006 report stated that
	"it was satisfied the Government intends to introduce the legislation in such a way that the rates for young people retain their viability"

Post Office Closures

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2007,  Official Report, column 2066W, on post office closures, when he expects to announce the detailed list of posts offices to be closed.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government expect to publish final decisions in March, following the end of its national consultation. It will then be for Post Office Ltd. to develop local area proposals in accordance with the framework set by Government.

Regional Venture Capital Funds

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the  (a) budget and  (b) expenditure was of the Regional Venture Capital Fund Programme in each English region in each financial year since 2000-01.

Margaret Hodge: The budget, expressed as DTI commitment, and expenditure, expressed as the amounts drawn down to date, for the Regional Venture Capital Fund Programme is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			Amounts drawn down 
			  Region  Total DTI commitment  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07( 1) 
			 East of England 6,000,000 — — — 600,000 1,275,000 2,500,000 1,625,000 
			 East Midlands 9,000,000 — 900,000 — 3,750,000 3,650,000 700,000 — 
			 London 15,000,000 — 450,000 1,500,000 2,400,000 5,175,000 5,925,000 — 
			 North East 4,500,000 — 750,000 1,800,000 2,250,000 — — — 
			 North West 8,875,000 — — 137,500 3,300,000 4,050,000 637,500 — 
			 South East 7,500,000 — — 3,250,000 4,250,000 — — — 
			 South West 7,500,000 — — 750,000 500,000 900,000 1,900,000 2,250,000 
			 West Midlands 6,000,000 — — 600,000 2,250,000 2,500,000 650,000 — 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 10,000,000 — — 1,000,000 300,000 2,525,000 2,750,000 850,000 
			 Total 74,375,000 0 2,100,000 9,037,500 19,600,000 20,075,000 15,062,500 4,725,000 
			 (1 )To date.

Trade Unions: Finance

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2007,  Official Report, column 816W, on trade union funding, what the  (a) amount and  (b) purpose was of each grant.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Purpose  Amount given (£) 
			 Partnership Fund(1) 26,559.50 
			 Partnership Fund 24,102.38 
			 Strategic Partnership Fund(2) 298,974.18 
			 Partnership Fund 249,405.00 
			 Partnership Fund 3,880.40 
			 Partnership Fund 27,580.00 
			 Strategic Partnership Fund 219,871.00 
			 Strategic Partnership Fund 46,814.87 
			 Partnership Fund 47,985.32 
			 Strategic Partnership Fund 68,000.00 
			 Partnership Fund 6,573.00 
			 Strategic Partnership Fund 141,500.00 
			 Union Modernisation Fund(3) 23,340.53 
			 Union Modernisation Fund(3) 12,252.64 
			 Union Modernisation Fund 7,377.84 
			 Union Modernisation Fund 43,329.35 
			 Union Modernisation Fund 7,083.30 
			 Union Modernisation Fund 24,330.00 
			 Union Modernisation Fund 8,125.65 
			 Union Modernisation Fund 6,047.75 
			 Union Modernisation Fund 28,647.63 
			 Union Modernisation Fund 104,011.73 
			 Union Modernisation Fund 32,489.00 
			 Union Modernisation Fund 11,475.34 
			 Union Modernisation Fund 13,232.25 
			 Union Modernisation Fund 23,284.48 
			 Union Modernisation Fund 6,070.70 
			 (1 )The Partnership at Work Fund was a Government grant scheme established by the DTI created in 1999 to encourage the development of industrial relations by encouraging employers and employees to work together effectively. The Partnership at Work Fund supported partnership projects within individual organisations. The fund is now closed. (2 )The Partnership at Work Fund supported partnership projects within individual organisations. Strategic Partnership projects reach out beyond single company projects to assess sectoral and regional issues. (3 )The Union Modernisation Fund provides financial assistance to independent trade unions and their federations in support of innovative projects, which contribute to, or explore the potential for transformational change in the organisational effectiveness of efficiency of a union or unions, in the light of the changing needs, aspirations and behaviour of workers and employers in the changing UK labour market.

Trade Unions: Finance

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2007,  Official Report, column 816W, on trade union funding, how much is expected to be given to trade union led projects in  (a) the remainder of the 2006-07 financial year and  (b) 2007-08.

Jim Fitzpatrick: £745,673 is expected to become payable to trade unions in the remainder of 2006-07 financial year and £1,696,642 for 2007-08.

Departmental Projects

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1134W, on Departmental Projects, which individuals have given  (a) donations and  (b) bequests to the Treasury that have exceeded £100,000 since 2001-02.

John Healey: In 2005-06 the Treasury received one bequest of £715,000 and one to date in 2006-07 of £105,000. I am not aware of any other bequests or any donations over £100,000 being received since 2001-02. The names of the individuals is personal information under the Data Protection Act. Bequests are passed on to the Consolidated Fund and are not used to finance the Treasury's departmental spending.

Households

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the  (a) mean and  (b) median household size was of households where the head of the household was aged (i) 18 to 25, (ii) 25 to 30 and (iii) 18 to 30 years old in (A) 1985, (B) 1990, (C) 1995, (D) 2000 and (E) 2005;
	(2)  where the head of the household was a citizen of a recently acceding EU country in the most recent period for which figures are available;
	(3)  where the head of the household was aged (i) 30 to 40, (ii) 40 to 50, (iii) 50 to 60, (iv) 60 to 70 and (v) 70 and over in (A) 1985, (B) 1990, (C) 1995, (D) 2000 and (E) 2005.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 5 February 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your requests for the (a) mean and (b) median household size by specified age groups of the head of the household in the years 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005, and where the head of the household was a citizen of a recently acceding EU country in the most recent period for which figures are available. (117851, 117853, 117854).
	Household Reference Person replaced the concept of Head of Household in 2001. For consistency all figures in this reply relate to the Household Reference Person.
	The information requested by age is readily available for the years 2000, 2005 and the most recent period (2006). These figures are provided in the table below. Figures for earlier years could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Mean and median household size by age group of household reference person (HRP), United Kingdom, 2000, 2005 and 2006 
			   2000  2005  2006 
			  Age group of HRP  Mean  Median  Mean   Median  Mean  Median 
			 18 to 24 2.2 2 2.2 2 2.3 2 
			 25 to 29 2.4 2 2.3 2 2.4 2 
			 18 to 29 2.3 2 2.3 2 2.4 2 
			 30 to 39 3.0 3 2.9 3 2.9 3 
			 40 to 49 3.1 3 3.1 3 3.0 3 
			 50 to 59 2.4 2 2.3 2 2.3 2 
			 60 to 69 1.9 2 1.8 2 1.8 2 
			 70 and over 1.5 1 1.5 1 1.5 1 
			 All ages 18 and over 2.4 2 2.4 2 2.4 2 
			  Source: LFS 2000 and 2005 summer quarter, 2006 first quarter. All figures are population weighted. 
		
	
	Information is available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) on self reported nationality, but not on citizenship.
	Where the household reference persons reported that they were a national of one of the ten countries that acceded to the EU in 2004 or of Bulgaria or Romania (the January 2007 accession countries), the mean household size was 3.0 and the median was 3.

Income Tax: Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people from Stroud constituency filed income tax returns for annual income  (a) between £500,000 and £999,999 and  (b) greater than £1 million in each of the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo: The available estimates of the distribution of income tax liabilities at regional level can be found in table 3.11 "Income and tax, by gender, region and country" on the HM Revenue and Customs' website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm#315. More detailed breakdowns are not available due to small sample sizes at constituency level.

Inflation

Alan Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what weighting for electrical goods is used by the Office of National Statistics when it calculates  (a) the Consumer Price Index and  (b) the Retail Price Index.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 5( th) February 2007.
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question: what weighting for electrical goods is used by the Office of National Statistics when it calculates (a) the Consumer Price Index and (b) the Retail Price Index?(118918)
	The table below shows the weighting in 2006 of electrical goods (as a percentage) within three categories of expenditure, in the Retail Prices Index (RPI) and Consumer Prices Index (CPI), alongside their respective price indicators.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  Category  Weight in RPI  Weight in CPI  Indicators 
			 Electrical appliances 0.80 1.09 Cooker—electric, Washing machine, Fridge/freezer, Microwave oven, Dishwasher, Vacuum cleaner, Cordless telephone handsets, Mobile phone handsets, Electric shower, Selected small appliances—eg iron, kettle, fan heater, Personal appliances—eg hair dryer, electric razor 
			 Audio-visual equipment 0.90 1.10 Colour televisions—including widescreen, portable and flat panel sets, Video recorder, Portable CD/radio cassette player, Personal MP3 player, Audio systems, DVD player, Car CD/radio, PCs—desktop and laptop, PC peripherals 
			 Other 0.69 1.10 Power points, Power tools—eg hammer drill, Table lamp, Light bulbs, Car batteries, Computer game consoles, Digital camera, Digital camcorders, Other cameras—including disposable, Lawnmowers 
			 Total 2.39 3.28

Minimum Wage

Mary Creagh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how statistical data on the  (a) receipt and  (b) enforcement of the national minimum wage is (i) collected and (ii) held.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of the number of people in low paid jobs, and specifically those paid less than the national minimum wage, are published by the Office for National Statistics annually in October.
	From 2004, the estimates have been based on the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). This survey replaced the New Earnings Survey (NES) and has been designed to provide better information about the low end of the pay distribution. The ASHE includes imputation of missing earnings and hours information in individual questionnaires, and weighting by categories defined by age band, gender, occupation and region. It also introduces additional samples likely to include a higher proportion of low paid employees. These samples are drawn from employees who moved jobs or entered the labour market between February and April, who would not have been identified for the New Earnings Survey because of the timing of the survey procedures.
	The ONS publishes tables on the National Statistics website showing the number of UK jobs from 1998 onwards paid below the minimum wage for those aged 18 to 21 and those aged 22 and over, by age, gender, full-time or part-time work, by industry sector, by Government office region and by occupation. From 2005, estimates of the number of 16 to 17-year-olds paid below the national minimum wage have also been published.
	The statistical data on enforcement of the minimum wage is collected centrally through information received during inquiries into employers at risk of not paying the national minimum wage. The statistical data is held by reference to the team that is conducting the inquiry or by DTI region.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of the recovery of overpaid tax credits on levels of personal debt amongst people in the bottom three deciles of income distribution; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.
	HMRC's policy on recovery of tax credits overpayments is set out in their Code of Practice 26 "What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?"

Taxation: Pensioners

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the income tax threshold for a  (a) single and  (b) married couple pensioner household (i) was in 1997 and (ii) is in 2006-07.

Dawn Primarolo: The answer is provided in the following table. Tax thresholds are the point at which income exceeds personal allowances. Individual spouses and civil partners are taxed separately and not as a household. The additional tax relief that is available for older pensioner married or civil partner couples reduces the tax liability of the spouse or civil partner who claims it. The amount depends on the age of the older partner and income of the claimant.
	
		
			  £ 
			   1997-98  2006-07 
			 Personal allowance under 65 4,045 5,035 
			 Personal allowance aged 65 to 74 (a) 5,220 7,280 
			 Personal allowance aged 75 and over(1) 5,440 7,420 
			 Married couple where older aged 65 to 74(2) 3,185 — 
			 Married couple where one aged over 75(2) 3,225 — 
			 Married or civil partnership couple where one of the couple born before 6 April 1935 but under 75(3) — 6,065 
			 Married or civil partnership couple where one of the couple born before 6 April 1935 and aged 75 and over(3) — 6,135 
			 Minimum level of Married Couple's Allowance(4) (2)1,830 (3)2,350 
			 Income limit(4) 15,600 20,100 
			 (1) Every individual receives a personal allowance to set against their own taxable income. In a married couple or civil partner household both individuals receive a personal allowance but any unused amount cannot be transferred between the couple. (2) Allowance given at a flat rate of 15 per cent. from the claimant's liability. (3) Allowance given at a flat rate of 10 per cent. from the claimant's liability. (4) The allowances for those 65 and over are reduced where the claimant's income exceeds the income limit. The personal allowance is not reduced below the level of the basic personal allowance and the married couple's allowance is not reduced below the minimum amount.

VAT: Food

Si�n James: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the charging of VAT on food at motorway service station restaurant outlets;
	(2)  what legislation applies to the  (a) charging of VAT on food and  (b) provision of information on VAT charging on menus and in-house advertisements by food retail outlets.

Dawn Primarolo: Supplies of food are VAT zero-rated unless otherwise specified in Group 1, Schedule 8 of the VAT Act 1994.
	Supplies in the course of catering are excluded from the zero rate. These take place when food is supplied for consumption on the premises on which it is sold, and when food is sold to be eaten hot. Therefore VAT is chargeable on all food sold for consumption in motorway service station restaurants; as well as on all hot take-away food sold in motorway service stations.
	The Price Marking (Food and Drink Services) Order 2003 requires restaurants, pubs and similar establishments to provide certain information to customers on menus and price lists. The Order also requires that an indication of the price of food (or of a charge payable in addition to the price of any food) which is subject to VAT shall be inclusive of the tax.

Affordable Housing

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new affordable houses were built in Essex in each of the past five years.

Yvette Cooper: The numbers of affordable housing units built in Essex in each of the past five years are tabulated. Affordable housing includes both social rent and low cost home ownership. Some affordable housing units are provided through the acquisition and refurbishment of dwellings purchased on the open market and these figures are also shown.
	This includes Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Castle Point, Chelmsford, Colchester, Epping Forest, Harlow, Maldon, Rochford, Southend-on-Sea (Unitary), Tendring, Thurrock (Unitary) and Uttlesford.
	
		
			  Affordable housing units provided: Essex 
			   New build  Acquisition  Total 
			 2001-02 698 133 831 
			 2002-03 532 316 848 
			 2003-04 365 463 828 
			 2004-05 545 302 847 
			 2005-06 1,078 361 1,439

British Food

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of food served in buildings occupied by her Department was of British origin in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006.

Angela Smith: The percentage of food of British origin in the Communities and Local Government restaurants in the headquarters buildings and agencies are:
	
		
			   Eland house and Ashdown house  Fire service college  QE2 conference centre 
			  Item  2005  2006  2005  2006  2005  2006 
			 Eggs 100 100 100 100 100 100 
			 Milk products 95 95 100 100 100 100 
			 Cheeses 50 60 50 50 40 40 
			 Root vegetables 65 75 90 95 100 100 
			 Salad vegetables 5 10 35 40 75 75 
			 Fruit 5 10 20 25 40 40 
			 Fish 70 65 15 15 80 80 
			 Bakery products 80 80 85 85 100 100 
			 Chicken 50 50 50 50 100 100 
			 Beef 85 95 95 95 100 100 
			 Lamb 95 95 0 0 100 100 
			 Bacon 45 45 0 0 80 80 
			 Pork 100 100 100 100 100 100 
		
	
	This answer does not include the Government Offices, who carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments, or the Planning Inspectorate who do not retain this information.

Departmental Travel

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Department's expenditure on foreign travel, including accommodation, was in 1996-97.

Angela Smith: As there have been significant changes in departmental responsibilities since 1996-97 the information requested is not complete.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies) on 16 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1459W

Disabled Facilities Grant

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much in matched funding Bassetlaw district council reported to her Department on the disabled facilities grant annual claim form in each of the last five years; and how much the council claimed from the Government in each year.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 26 January 2007
	The following table details Bassetlaw district council's last five years grant claims for central Government funding (60 per cent.) and their matched funding (40 per cent.). The most recent available data are from 2005-06.
	
		
			   
			   Match funding  Central Government funding 
			 2001-02 81,737 122,606 
			 2002-03 53,948 80,923 
			 2003-04 109,436 164,154 
			 2004-05 100,740 151,110 
			 2005-06 172,667 259,000

Domestic Violence

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of people made homeless in England and Wales as a direct result of domestic violence in each of the past five years.

Yvette Cooper: Information about English local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected by the Department in respect of households (rather than people), at local authority level and on a quarterly basis. The Department does not hold statistics for the devolved administrations.
	Households who are accepted by English local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need are owed a main homelessness duty by the local authority.
	Data on these acceptances are published in a quarterly statistical release on Statutory Homelessness. Table 4 of the release shows a breakdown of acceptances by priority need category, which includes domestic violence. Table 5 shows a breakdown of acceptances by reason for loss of last settled home, which includes violent relationship breakdown with partner.
	The release is published on our website each quarter. The latest, July to September 2006, can be found at the following address
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id-1002882PressNoticeID-2309
	and includes data for the last five years. A copy of this release can also be found in the Library.
	The Government are committed to tackling and preventing the underlying causes of homelessness, including domestic violence, and has recently published guidance encouraging local authorities to set up sanctuary schemes to enable victims of domestic violence to remain in their own accommodation, where it is safe for them to do so, where it is their choice and where the perpetrator no longer lives in the accommodation.

Equality

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether draft equality legislation or proposals will be presented for scrutiny to the Communities and Local Government Committee.

Phil Woolas: The Communities and Local Government Committee will have the opportunity to comment on our proposals to provide protection from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in the provision of goods, facilities and services; premises; and in the work of public authorities later this month, when we publish the response to the Getting Equal consultation. Subject to parliamentary approval, we intend to bring the regulations into effect this April, alongside commencement of the provisions on Religion or Belief contained within Part 2 of the Equality Act 2006.
	The Committee will also have the opportunity to comment on the proposals emerging from the Discrimination Law Review which will be published in a Green Paper for public consultation, shortly.

Housing

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what provision there was of  (a) social housing and  (b) affordable housing in the West Lancashire constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Yvette Cooper: Information specific to the West Lancashire constituency is not held centrally. The stock of social rent housing in the West Lancashire district in each of the last 10 years can be found on the Communities and Local Government website:
	 Registered Social Landlords
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/21/Tablel15_idl156021.xls
	 Local authorities
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/22/Tablel16_idl156022.xls
	a copy of the tables have been placed in the Library of the House.
	Housing provided for social rent makes up part of the affordable housing supply with other dwellings being provided through low cost home ownership schemes. In the last 10 years 42 affordable dwellings have been provided in the West Lancashire local authority area through low cost home ownership schemes.

Housing

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what temporary housing provision was made available to the homeless in the West Lancashire constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Yvette Cooper: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected quarterly at local authority level. The constituency of West Lancashire is contained wholly within West Lancashire district council, which also contains part of the South Ribble constituency.
	Information reported each quarter by local authorities about their activities under homelessness legislation includes the number of households in temporary accommodation on the last day of the quarter, and the types of temporary accommodation. The figures include both those households who have been accepted as owed the main homelessness duty, and those for which inquiries are pending.
	Data is published in our quarterly statistical release on Statutory Homelessness, which includes a Supplementary Table showing the breakdown of key data, including temporary accommodation and type, by each local authority. These are published on our website each quarter (the latestJuly to September 2006can be found at the following address:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/60/Supplementarytables_id1505060.xls
	the tables have also been placed in the Library over the last 10 years.
	Data provided includes the total number in temporary accommodation for each year, broken down between bed and breakfast, hostel, local authority/Registered Social Landlord stock, private sector leased and other types of housing.
	A summary table showing the total number of households in temporary accommodation, from 1997-98 to 2005-06, for each local authority (including West Lancashire) is available in the Library of the House.
	In January 2005 the Government set a target of halving the number of households in all forms of temporary accommodation used by local authorities to discharge their main duty under the homelessness legislation.

Housing

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what provision there was of  (a) social housing and  (b) affordable housing in Chorley constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Yvette Cooper: Information on the stock of social rent housing by local authority area in each of the last 10 years can be found on the Communities and Local Government website:
	 Registered social landlords
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/21/Tablel15_idl156021.xls
	 Local authorities
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/22/Tablel16_idl156022.xls
	a copy of the tables have been placed in the Library of the House.
	Housing provided for social rent makes up part of the affordable housing supply with other dwellings being provided through low cost home ownership schemes. In the last 10 years 216 new affordable dwellings have been provided in Chorley through low cost home ownership schemes.

Key Workers Living Scheme

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many participants there have been in the key workers living scheme in each month since its implementation, broken down by London borough.

Yvette Cooper: A table has been placed in the Library of the House displaying information on the number of key workers helped through the Key Worker Living (KWL) programme in each month since its implementation, broken down by London borough. This data is taken form the Housing Corporation's payment system. From April 2004 to December 2006, 5,637 key workers in London have received assistance through the KWL programme.

Local Area Agreements

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to specify a role for alcohol reduction strategies in local area agreements.

Phil Woolas: The Government are committed to reducing the harm caused by alcohol misuse. Some areas have found producing an alcohol harm reduction strategy helpful as part of their wider drugs and misuse plans but the Government have no plans to introduce a formal requirement for these. We will want to ensure that where Local Area Agreements can contribute to the delivery of the Government's and local areas' response to alcohol misuse, including alcohol harm reduction strategies, they do so. Many local areas have already chosen to include targets including stretch targets relating to alcohol misuse in their Local Area Agreements. Local Area Agreements have also facilitated enhanced partnership working between local bodies of the type that is necessary to ensure that there is comprehensive response to alcohol misuse. The duties on local authorities and their local partners proposed in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill will further facilitate such joint working, including by making Local Area Agreements the single mechanism for central and local government to agree targets to reflect the key priorities for improvement in each local area.

Local Government

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will take action to eliminate or reduce the impact on local government resource allocated by the floor damping block mechanism, with specific reference to the impact on Hartlepool Borough Council.

Phil Woolas: The formula grant damping is an integral part of the system and hence will not be removed. I will decide the level of the floor for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, in due course. I am pleased to note that Hartlepool will receive a grant increase of 4.4 per cent. in 2007-08.

Lyons Review

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to publish an  (a) Green and  (b) White Paper on local government following the publication of the Lyons Inquiry into local government.

Phil Woolas: Sir Michael Lyons' report will be published around the time of Budget 2007. His work will inform the comprehensive Spending Review 2007. Decisions on the Government's response will be taken in light of the report.

Royal Mail

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent using Royal Mail in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: Communities and Local Government was created on 5 May 2006. The information in the following table covers the period from May 2002 to December 2006, and thus includes data for CLG's predecessor department, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
	
		
			  Royal Mail costs 
			   
			   CLG/ODPM  Agencies 
			 May 2002 to March 2003 297,847 667,605 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 300,713 649,074 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 978,706 323,792 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 86,371 364,739 
			 April 2006 to December 2006 78,747 212,193 
		
	
	As information for the period from March 2001 to April 2002 would relate to the former Department for Transport, local government and the regions and is not held centrally it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	This answer does not include the Government Offices who carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.

Social Housing

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of all social housing starts in each English region have been three bed units or larger in each of the last 15 years.

Yvette Cooper: The following table shows the percentage of social rented homes of three bed units and larger approved through the Housing Corporation's affordable housing programme in each region for last three years and estimates for 2006-08.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  Region Name  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-08 
			 East Midlands 29 24 33 31 
			 Eastern 39 26 31 28 
			 London 32 29 28 34 
			 North East 18 33 39 34 
			 North West 37 30 35 40 
			 South East 30 20 21 21 
			 South West 37 33 37 26 
			 West Midlands 42 35 50 35 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 36 35 53 45 
		
	
	Information prior to 2003-04 was not collected in this format.